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TCASII induced near midair collision less than standard separation between air carrier X and Y. Pilot deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 262974 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199402 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pdx |
| State Reference | OR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9100 msl bound upper : 9100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : pdx |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 7 controller radar : 11 |
| ASRS Report | 262974 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 400 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
This is a report on an near midair collision between air carrier X, an MD80 departing from pdx, and air carrier Y, a dash-8 inbound to pdx. Air carrier Y was handed off to my sector by ZSE, and leveled off at his assigned altitude of 12000 ft. Air carrier X came up on frequency, climbing to 9000 ft. This is the normal procedure for departing turbojets at pdx. Air carrier Y was descended to 10000 ft, and advised of his traffic opposite direction climbing to 9000 ft, (air carrier X, MD80). Air carrier X was also advised of the dash-8 opposite direction descending to 10000 ft. (This is a very common, very normal, everyday type scenario here at pdx on this particular runway flow). Neither pilot saw the other aircraft. When air carrier X was out of 7700 ft, I again issued traffic to him, and the pilot again said that he did not see the other aircraft. Air carrier Y was out of 10500 ft, and I again advised him of the MD80, and he said he did not have the traffic in sight. I turned air carrier X jet west on course and then noticed air carrier Y altitude was 9600 ft and descending, and the pilot of air carrier Y then advised he was responding to an RA on his TCASII and was descending to 9000 ft. Air carrier X was just leveling off at 9000 ft, 3 mi in front of the dash-8. I advised air carrier Y to climb if he was going to do anything, then noticed that both aircraft were at 9100 ft, and the targets merged on the radar. Both data blocks went into coast (CST) mode for approximately 2 sweeps, and then appeared once again as separate targets. Air carrier X also advised that he was responding to a TCASII RA, but standard separation had already been lost. Neither aircraft's crew saw the other, though the WX was clear, with 40 mi visibility. The pilot of air carrier X called when he arrived in sea, and said that the passenger, however, got a great view of the other aircraft. It should be noted that this was not a pilot error, nor a controller error. This wasn't even an equipment malfunction. The TCASII worked exactly as it was designed to. This thing is somewhat like the 'O' rings in the space shuttle -- that is, a lot of people know that there is something wrong with this, but nobody wants to stand up and say so.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TCASII INDUCED NMAC LTSS BTWN ACR X AND Y. PLTDEV.
Narrative: THIS IS A RPT ON AN NMAC BTWN ACR X, AN MD80 DEPARTING FROM PDX, AND ACR Y, A DASH-8 INBOUND TO PDX. ACR Y WAS HANDED OFF TO MY SECTOR BY ZSE, AND LEVELED OFF AT HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF 12000 FT. ACR X CAME UP ON FREQ, CLBING TO 9000 FT. THIS IS THE NORMAL PROC FOR DEPARTING TURBOJETS AT PDX. ACR Y WAS DSNDED TO 10000 FT, AND ADVISED OF HIS TFC OPPOSITE DIRECTION CLBING TO 9000 FT, (ACR X, MD80). ACR X WAS ALSO ADVISED OF THE DASH-8 OPPOSITE DIRECTION DSNDING TO 10000 FT. (THIS IS A VERY COMMON, VERY NORMAL, EVERYDAY TYPE SCENARIO HERE AT PDX ON THIS PARTICULAR RWY FLOW). NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTHER ACFT. WHEN ACR X WAS OUT OF 7700 FT, I AGAIN ISSUED TFC TO HIM, AND THE PLT AGAIN SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT. ACR Y WAS OUT OF 10500 FT, AND I AGAIN ADVISED HIM OF THE MD80, AND HE SAID HE DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. I TURNED ACR X JET W ON COURSE AND THEN NOTICED ACR Y ALT WAS 9600 FT AND DSNDING, AND THE PLT OF ACR Y THEN ADVISED HE WAS RESPONDING TO AN RA ON HIS TCASII AND WAS DSNDING TO 9000 FT. ACR X WAS JUST LEVELING OFF AT 9000 FT, 3 MI IN FRONT OF THE DASH-8. I ADVISED ACR Y TO CLB IF HE WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING, THEN NOTICED THAT BOTH ACFT WERE AT 9100 FT, AND THE TARGETS MERGED ON THE RADAR. BOTH DATA BLOCKS WENT INTO COAST (CST) MODE FOR APPROX 2 SWEEPS, AND THEN APPEARED ONCE AGAIN AS SEPARATE TARGETS. ACR X ALSO ADVISED THAT HE WAS RESPONDING TO A TCASII RA, BUT STANDARD SEPARATION HAD ALREADY BEEN LOST. NEITHER ACFT'S CREW SAW THE OTHER, THOUGH THE WX WAS CLR, WITH 40 MI VISIBILITY. THE PLT OF ACR X CALLED WHEN HE ARRIVED IN SEA, AND SAID THAT THE PAX, HOWEVER, GOT A GREAT VIEW OF THE OTHER ACFT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PLT ERROR, NOR A CTLR ERROR. THIS WASN'T EVEN AN EQUIP MALFUNCTION. THE TCASII WORKED EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO. THIS THING IS SOMEWHAT LIKE THE 'O' RINGS IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE -- THAT IS, A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO STAND UP AND SAY SO.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.