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Less than standard separation. ARTCC controller inadvertently climbed a widebody transport into head-on traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 286870 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199410 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sby |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc tracon : mia |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 286870 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 286977 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Climbing to our cleared altitude of FL350, at about 31600 ft, TCASII gave us a TA for an oncoming aircraft, 6-7 NM in front of us at FL330. About the same time, center asked us if we were level at FL310. When we responded that we had been cleared to FL350, he said we were cleared to FL310 and report level. He also gave us a 270 degree heading and our traffic a 090 degree heading. Our altitude never exceeded 31900 ft and we had our traffic in sight. We missed the other aircraft by 1000 ft vertically but less than a mi horizontally. Afterward, center again stated we had been cleared to FL310 after we restated we had been cleared to FL350. We contacted our company dispatcher and asked him to call the center and pull the tape. Upon listening to the tape, the center admitted they had cleared and we had acknowledged FL350. TCASII gave us an excellent 'heads up' on this situation and the controller was not far behind TCASII. It being night we would have seen the traffic but far too late to do much maneuvering.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LTSS. ARTCC CTLR INADVERTENTLY CLBED A WDB INTO HEAD-ON TFC.
Narrative: CLBING TO OUR CLRED ALT OF FL350, AT ABOUT 31600 FT, TCASII GAVE US A TA FOR AN ONCOMING ACFT, 6-7 NM IN FRONT OF US AT FL330. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310. WHEN WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL350, HE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO FL310 AND RPT LEVEL. HE ALSO GAVE US A 270 DEG HDG AND OUR TFC A 090 DEG HDG. OUR ALT NEVER EXCEEDED 31900 FT AND WE HAD OUR TFC IN SIGHT. WE MISSED THE OTHER ACFT BY 1000 FT VERTLY BUT LESS THAN A MI HORIZLY. AFTERWARD, CTR AGAIN STATED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL310 AFTER WE RESTATED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL350. WE CONTACTED OUR COMPANY DISPATCHER AND ASKED HIM TO CALL THE CTR AND PULL THE TAPE. UPON LISTENING TO THE TAPE, THE CTR ADMITTED THEY HAD CLRED AND WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED FL350. TCASII GAVE US AN EXCELLENT 'HEADS UP' ON THIS SIT AND THE CTLR WAS NOT FAR BEHIND TCASII. IT BEING NIGHT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE TFC BUT FAR TOO LATE TO DO MUCH MANEUVERING.
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.