Near midair collision between a DC8 in foreign airspace sbound at FL260 and a descending airbus A310...

Attributes
ACN	340153
Time
Date	199606
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sel
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rktt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 4940 flight time type : 896
ASRS Report	340153
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

We had departed kimpo airport in seoul, korea, en route to taipei, taiwan. Approximately 30 mins into our flight, we were already level at our cruise altitude of FL260. We had a near miss with an airbus that passed underneath us about 500 ft or less. Center (taegu center) had called traffic out to us. Their exact words: 'traffic 12 O'clock (?) mi showing!! FL280.' (I do not remember the distance. However, it was a long distance, ie, greater than 10 mi.) I responded to center 'roger.' the next call from center was to ask us if we had the traffic in sight. I responded 'negative.' a few mins went by when we both (captain and I) jumped and saw an airbus at the bottom of our window, going beneath us, no time to react. Center called again, calling traffic (now behind us) 'traffic 4 O'clock showing!! FL280.' the controller hesitated in his speech while telling us this. We believe because he just saw on his radar screen what almost happened. However, he still called his altitude at FL280, saying he's 'showing!! FL280.' why? Maybe to cover up his mistake. We did not report it to center or complain to them. We asked for their phone number to call them on the ground, and were unable to reach them with the number they gave us. Contributing factor: we believe (but are not sure) that the previous controller must have given the airbus a discretionary descent. When he started down, the controller either did not notice his descent or misunderstood that we did not have him in sight. The airbus, either way, should not have been allowed to descend. Contributing factor: the altitude -- was the radar not working? Was the airbus mode C (altitude reporting) not working? Why did controller say 'showing FL280,' even after he passed below us. Contributing factor: no TCASII installed in cargo aircraft. FAA do not require united states cargo aircraft to install it. This would have been very helpful. Only for passenger aircraft. Why?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A DC8 IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE SBOUND AT FL260 AND A DSNDING AIRBUS A310 DSNDING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION APPROX 500 FT BELOW. ATC RPTED THE TFC AT FL280, WHICH WOULD HAVE PLACED THE TFC AT 2000 FT ABOVE THEM!

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED KIMPO ARPT IN SEOUL, KOREA, ENRTE TO TAIPEI, TAIWAN. APPROX 30 MINS INTO OUR FLT, WE WERE ALREADY LEVEL AT OUR CRUISE ALT OF FL260. WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH AN AIRBUS THAT PASSED UNDERNEATH US ABOUT 500 FT OR LESS. CTR (TAEGU CTR) HAD CALLED TFC OUT TO US. THEIR EXACT WORDS: 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK (?) MI SHOWING!! FL280.' (I DO NOT REMEMBER THE DISTANCE. HOWEVER, IT WAS A LONG DISTANCE, IE, GREATER THAN 10 MI.) I RESPONDED TO CTR 'ROGER.' THE NEXT CALL FROM CTR WAS TO ASK US IF WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE.' A FEW MINS WENT BY WHEN WE BOTH (CAPT AND I) JUMPED AND SAW AN AIRBUS AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR WINDOW, GOING BENEATH US, NO TIME TO REACT. CTR CALLED AGAIN, CALLING TFC (NOW BEHIND US) 'TFC 4 O'CLOCK SHOWING!! FL280.' THE CTLR HESITATED IN HIS SPEECH WHILE TELLING US THIS. WE BELIEVE BECAUSE HE JUST SAW ON HIS RADAR SCREEN WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED. HOWEVER, HE STILL CALLED HIS ALT AT FL280, SAYING HE'S 'SHOWING!! FL280.' WHY? MAYBE TO COVER UP HIS MISTAKE. WE DID NOT RPT IT TO CTR OR COMPLAIN TO THEM. WE ASKED FOR THEIR PHONE NUMBER TO CALL THEM ON THE GND, AND WERE UNABLE TO REACH THEM WITH THE NUMBER THEY GAVE US. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: WE BELIEVE (BUT ARE NOT SURE) THAT THE PREVIOUS CTLR MUST HAVE GIVEN THE AIRBUS A DISCRETIONARY DSCNT. WHEN HE STARTED DOWN, THE CTLR EITHER DID NOT NOTICE HIS DSCNT OR MISUNDERSTOOD THAT WE DID NOT HAVE HIM IN SIGHT. THE AIRBUS, EITHER WAY, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DSND. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: THE ALT -- WAS THE RADAR NOT WORKING? WAS THE AIRBUS MODE C (ALT RPTING) NOT WORKING? WHY DID CTLR SAY 'SHOWING FL280,' EVEN AFTER HE PASSED BELOW US. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: NO TCASII INSTALLED IN CARGO ACFT. FAA DO NOT REQUIRE UNITED STATES CARGO ACFT TO INSTALL IT. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. ONLY FOR PAX ACFT. WHY?

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.

Near midair collision between a DC8 in foreign airspace sbound at FL260 and a descending airbus A310 descending in the opposite direction approximately 500 ft below. ATC reported the traffic at FL280, which would have placed the traffic at 2000 ft above them!