Narrative:

Air carrier X was cleared papas 4 departure fairy transition, maintain 9000 ft expect FL370. North of uncle intersection was cleared direct mje and climb FL370. After climbing and north of niece intersection I noticed an aircraft merging from my left at 11 O'clock. I checked the TCASII and observed an aircraft on TCASII at 2200 ft climb and about 10 mi. I looked back out and aircraft was getting closer, fast. Looked back in now TCASII showed target at 800 ft higher and not climbing 7 mi away. I then told tokyo about the traffic. Received a 270 degree heading, went by air carrier Y at about FL330 and 1 mi to his right. I feel air carrier Y should have been given the direct to mje not us - (air carrier X). This caused us to cut the corner and with the higher wind at altitude caused us to almost collide/overtake. With a light 747-400 which was climbing faster, and air carrier Y was in the 100 KT headwind which slowed him considerably and the air carrier X direct to mje while air carrier Y was on the departure route caused us to overtake. I was using VNAV and heading select at the time with autoplt in command. I'm sure that the good visibility and TCASII helped greatly in avoiding a collision. There was a great deal of confusion resulting and 4 aircraft had to alter climb and/or change heading as required by departure control/tokyo center. Supplemental information from acn 297812: air carrier flight Y - nrt to hkg (air carrier Y direct to hkg A-1 papas 4 departure fairly transition maintain 9000 ft expect FL330). Normal takeoff and initial departure. As we started to slide over to the cvc 179 degree radial we were released from 9000 ft restr (climb, maintain FL330). We requested direct mje VOR (unable due to traffic) . We continued with full departure compliance. Climbing through 30600 ft, we were told to level at FL310. We then saw an aircraft at 12 O'clock and also on TCASII at FL330. The next aircraft to leave nrt was flight X nrt-tpe, following us by maybe 2 or 3 mins. As we leveled at FL310 we heard flight X call center and say he was turning right due to traffic he was overtaking at 11 O'clock. Up until this point it has been a female voice on ATC - now a male voice comes on and (air carrier X turn right heading 270 degrees) air carrier X complies. Air carrier X is a B747-400 has bigger engines and lighter load and was given a 'direct' clearance to cut the corner behind us and was climbing faster than us. He is cleared to FL370. He has us visual and on TCASII and realizes he is coming right up our tailpipe. This necessitated the right turn. At this point a third aircraft is given a 'change heading now' clearance followed very shortly by 'air carrier Z turn right 90 degree heading ---.' this was followed about 10-15 seconds later with air carrier Z saying 'that was bloody well too close! ATC 'yes thank you for your cooperation.' I don't know what started this whole fiasco but this is the 3RD or 4TH 'incident' I have had with tyo center in the last 4-6 weeks. They seem to be doing controller training but do not tell us and when the supervisor takes over it always seems to be just a little late and then other mistakes are made before the problem is taken care of. It sounded as though today's incident could have resulted in any where from 1- 3 midairs. The pilot on air carrier X being alert and the air carrier Z pilot reacting obviously kept things safe. Tyo center seems to be having some problems and if they do not cure them soon - something bad may happen soon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AVOIDED BY ALERT FLC RESPONSE AND TCASII TA IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ACR X WAS CLRED PAPAS 4 DEP FAIRY TRANSITION, MAINTAIN 9000 FT EXPECT FL370. N OF UNCLE INTXN WAS CLRED DIRECT MJE AND CLB FL370. AFTER CLBING AND N OF NIECE INTXN I NOTICED AN ACFT MERGING FROM MY L AT 11 O'CLOCK. I CHKED THE TCASII AND OBSERVED AN ACFT ON TCASII AT 2200 FT CLB AND ABOUT 10 MI. I LOOKED BACK OUT AND ACFT WAS GETTING CLOSER, FAST. LOOKED BACK IN NOW TCASII SHOWED TARGET AT 800 FT HIGHER AND NOT CLBING 7 MI AWAY. I THEN TOLD TOKYO ABOUT THE TFC. RECEIVED A 270 DEG HDG, WENT BY ACR Y AT ABOUT FL330 AND 1 MI TO HIS R. I FEEL ACR Y SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECT TO MJE NOT US - (ACR X). THIS CAUSED US TO CUT THE CORNER AND WITH THE HIGHER WIND AT ALT CAUSED US TO ALMOST COLLIDE/OVERTAKE. WITH A LIGHT 747-400 WHICH WAS CLBING FASTER, AND ACR Y WAS IN THE 100 KT HEADWIND WHICH SLOWED HIM CONSIDERABLY AND THE ACR X DIRECT TO MJE WHILE ACR Y WAS ON THE DEP RTE CAUSED US TO OVERTAKE. I WAS USING VNAV AND HDG SELECT AT THE TIME WITH AUTOPLT IN COMMAND. I'M SURE THAT THE GOOD VISIBILITY AND TCASII HELPED GREATLY IN AVOIDING A COLLISION. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION RESULTING AND 4 ACFT HAD TO ALTER CLB AND/OR CHANGE HDG AS REQUIRED BY DEP CTL/TOKYO CTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 297812: ACR FLT Y - NRT TO HKG (ACR Y DIRECT TO HKG A-1 PAPAS 4 DEP FAIRLY TRANSITION MAINTAIN 9000 FT EXPECT FL330). NORMAL TKOF AND INITIAL DEP. AS WE STARTED TO SLIDE OVER TO THE CVC 179 DEG RADIAL WE WERE RELEASED FROM 9000 FT RESTR (CLB, MAINTAIN FL330). WE REQUESTED DIRECT MJE VOR (UNABLE DUE TO TFC) . WE CONTINUED WITH FULL DEP COMPLIANCE. CLBING THROUGH 30600 FT, WE WERE TOLD TO LEVEL AT FL310. WE THEN SAW AN ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ALSO ON TCASII AT FL330. THE NEXT ACFT TO LEAVE NRT WAS FLT X NRT-TPE, FOLLOWING US BY MAYBE 2 OR 3 MINS. AS WE LEVELED AT FL310 WE HEARD FLT X CALL CTR AND SAY HE WAS TURNING R DUE TO TFC HE WAS OVERTAKING AT 11 O'CLOCK. UP UNTIL THIS POINT IT HAS BEEN A FEMALE VOICE ON ATC - NOW A MALE VOICE COMES ON AND (ACR X TURN R HDG 270 DEGS) ACR X COMPLIES. ACR X IS A B747-400 HAS BIGGER ENGS AND LIGHTER LOAD AND WAS GIVEN A 'DIRECT' CLRNC TO CUT THE CORNER BEHIND US AND WAS CLBING FASTER THAN US. HE IS CLRED TO FL370. HE HAS US VISUAL AND ON TCASII AND REALIZES HE IS COMING RIGHT UP OUR TAILPIPE. THIS NECESSITATED THE R TURN. AT THIS POINT A THIRD ACFT IS GIVEN A 'CHANGE HDG NOW' CLRNC FOLLOWED VERY SHORTLY BY 'ACR Z TURN R 90 DEG HDG ---.' THIS WAS FOLLOWED ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS LATER WITH ACR Z SAYING 'THAT WAS BLOODY WELL TOO CLOSE! ATC 'YES THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.' I DON'T KNOW WHAT STARTED THIS WHOLE FIASCO BUT THIS IS THE 3RD OR 4TH 'INCIDENT' I HAVE HAD WITH TYO CTR IN THE LAST 4-6 WKS. THEY SEEM TO BE DOING CTLR TRAINING BUT DO NOT TELL US AND WHEN THE SUPVR TAKES OVER IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE JUST A LITTLE LATE AND THEN OTHER MISTAKES ARE MADE BEFORE THE PROB IS TAKEN CARE OF. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH TODAY'S INCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ANY WHERE FROM 1- 3 MIDAIRS. THE PLT ON ACR X BEING ALERT AND THE ACR Z PLT REACTING OBVIOUSLY KEPT THINGS SAFE. TYO CTR SEEMS TO BE HAVING SOME PROBS AND IF THEY DO NOT CURE THEM SOON - SOMETHING BAD MAY HAPPEN SOON.

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.