TCASII warned the reporting aircraft of another aircraft in an emergency descent.

Attributes
ACN	270441
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yqx
State Reference	NF
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33700
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czox
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	270441
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While in cruise at FL330 en route jfk-fra, experienced near miss while in canadian airspace at approximately 49 degrees north latitude and 58 degrees west longitude. I was the PIC administering IOE to a new captain. Working gander (nfld) center, told to go to gander radio for oceanic clearance. (Procedure requires one pilot to monitor ATC while other pilot gets clearance.) track clearance received via ACARS, but readback required. As clearance (which was not the filed clearance or altitude) was coming off printer, flight attendant entered cockpit for meal orders. I read back clearance, returned to center as they (center) were giving us a left turn to 040 degree (from about 070 degrees). They then gave us right to 120 degree and repeated it 3 times, apparently not hearing my readback. We then heard 'traffic,traffic,' followed by 'climb, climb.' the TCASII climb indicators in this airplane are out of the pilot's field of view (a money saving feature), but the relief pilot, who was in the jump seat, talked the PF through the TCASII climb maneuver. I observed the traffic enter the center mounted display from the top, turn red, and pass off our left wing about 3 mi at FL332 descending. Center told us it was a 767 in an emergency descent. I reported a TCASII climb, maximum altitude FL337 and returning to FL330. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Recommendations: remove requirement to leave ATC frequency to get oceanic clearance. Make TCASII displays on the pfd mandatory for all CRT-equipped aircraft (this is a software only change).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII WARNED THE RPTING ACFT OF ANOTHER ACFT IN AN EMER DSCNT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL330 ENRTE JFK-FRA, EXPERIENCED NEAR MISS WHILE IN CANADIAN AIRSPACE AT APPROX 49 DEGS N LAT AND 58 DEGS W LONGITUDE. I WAS THE PIC ADMINISTERING IOE TO A NEW CAPT. WORKING GANDER (NFLD) CTR, TOLD TO GO TO GANDER RADIO FOR OCEANIC CLRNC. (PROC REQUIRES ONE PLT TO MONITOR ATC WHILE OTHER PLT GETS CLRNC.) TRACK CLRNC RECEIVED VIA ACARS, BUT READBACK REQUIRED. AS CLRNC (WHICH WAS NOT THE FILED CLRNC OR ALT) WAS COMING OFF PRINTER, FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED COCKPIT FOR MEAL ORDERS. I READ BACK CLRNC, RETURNED TO CTR AS THEY (CTR) WERE GIVING US A L TURN TO 040 DEG (FROM ABOUT 070 DEGS). THEY THEN GAVE US R TO 120 DEG AND REPEATED IT 3 TIMES, APPARENTLY NOT HEARING MY READBACK. WE THEN HEARD 'TFC,TFC,' FOLLOWED BY 'CLB, CLB.' THE TCASII CLB INDICATORS IN THIS AIRPLANE ARE OUT OF THE PLT'S FIELD OF VIEW (A MONEY SAVING FEATURE), BUT THE RELIEF PLT, WHO WAS IN THE JUMP SEAT, TALKED THE PF THROUGH THE TCASII CLB MANEUVER. I OBSERVED THE TFC ENTER THE CTR MOUNTED DISPLAY FROM THE TOP, TURN RED, AND PASS OFF OUR L WING ABOUT 3 MI AT FL332 DSNDING. CTR TOLD US IT WAS A 767 IN AN EMER DSCNT. I RPTED A TCASII CLB, MAX ALT FL337 AND RETURNING TO FL330. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. RECOMMENDATIONS: REMOVE REQUIREMENT TO LEAVE ATC FREQ TO GET OCEANIC CLRNC. MAKE TCASII DISPLAYS ON THE PFD MANDATORY FOR ALL CRT-EQUIPPED ACFT (THIS IS A SOFTWARE ONLY CHANGE).

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.