<< >> NASA ASRS Report 323413, December 1995

A departure air carrier climbs to an altitude assigned to another aircraft resulting in less than standard separation. Interfacility coordination involved.

Attributes
ACN	323413
Time
Date	199512
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	323413
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was nwbound on shoreline at 3000 ft. The restr light was on that meant all lax departure would stop at 2000 ft. Aircraft #2 departed lax and checked in out of 'one for three.' the controller did not hear it, but relied on the pilot having received and acknowledged the appropriate altitude from lax tower. The aircraft receives 2 differing altitudes frequently from lax tower. This confusion leads many pilots to check in climbing to the 'wrong altitude.' on a day where aircraft are climbing well and are over the runway end leaving 2000 ft or higher, the possibility for a loss of separation with an aircraft at 3000 ft directly over the departure end is great. Also, if the tower controller had issued relevant traffic, 'traffic 11 O'clock 2 mi nwbound at 3000 ft,' the error most likely would have been avoided. The tower is technically a limited approach control.

Related reports:

• TRACON ATCT interfacility coordination. Air carrier X on vis...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP ACR CLBS TO AN ALT ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER ACFT RESULTING IN LTSS. INTERFAC COORD INVOLVED.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS NWBOUND ON SHORELINE AT 3000 FT. THE RESTR LIGHT WAS ON THAT MEANT ALL LAX DEP WOULD STOP AT 2000 FT. ACFT #2 DEPARTED LAX AND CHKED IN OUT OF 'ONE FOR THREE.' THE CTLR DID NOT HEAR IT, BUT RELIED ON THE PLT HAVING RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE APPROPRIATE ALT FROM LAX TWR. THE ACFT RECEIVES 2 DIFFERING ALTS FREQUENTLY FROM LAX TWR. THIS CONFUSION LEADS MANY PLTS TO CHK IN CLBING TO THE 'WRONG ALT.' ON A DAY WHERE ACFT ARE CLBING WELL AND ARE OVER THE RWY END LEAVING 2000 FT OR HIGHER, THE POSSIBILITY FOR A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH AN ACFT AT 3000 FT DIRECTLY OVER THE DEP END IS GREAT. ALSO, IF THE TWR CTLR HAD ISSUED RELEVANT TFC, 'TFC 11 O'CLOCK 2 MI NWBOUND AT 3000 FT,' THE ERROR MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE TWR IS TECHNICALLY A LIMITED APCH CTL.

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.