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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Reporter attempted to resolve a potential converging course same altitude confliction. Air carrier X first refused a turn and then a descent clearance. The flight crew said they were in emergency condition. Reporter descended air carrier Y to avoid the conflict. The flight crew of air carrier X rescinded the emergency when asked the nature of the emergency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 342698 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hlc |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 2 controller radar : 7 |
| ASRS Report | 342698 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Air carrier X was in conflict with air carrier Y at FL310. In sector 24's airspace air carrier X is swbound, air carrier Y is wbound the confliction will occur in my airspace ZDV sector 18. Air carrier X checked on my frequency 132.17 approximately 4 mins before the confliction will occur. I am not yet in communication with the air carrier Y aircraft. When air carrier X checked on an issued 30 degree left turn for traffic, air carrier X responded unable turn. I then issued a descent to FL280 to air carrier X with an expedite descent. No response. Twice more I tried to communicate this descent to air carrier X. X responded that he was in an emergency condition. We (sector 18) immediately started coordination with ZKC sectors 24 and 20 to move air carrier Y as well as an aircraft east of hys out of air carrier X's way. Air carrier Y checked on my frequency and I issued an expedite descent to FL280 which the pilot complied with. I asked air carrier X to state nature of emergency and he rescinded his emergency request. This was a time critical situation occurring on a very busy sector during massive thunderstorm deviations. I believe air carrier X just didn't want to be moved and inappropriately used the emergency phrase, thus causing a hazardous situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was asked if there was any follow-up with air carrier X regarding the emergency condition. Reporter replied that he is unaware of any follow-up. Reporter indicated that upper management was going to contact the air carrier. Reporter alleged that this air carrier has done this before and indicated it usually pertained to some WX type condition.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE A POTENTIAL CONVERGING COURSE SAME ALT CONFLICTION. ACR X FIRST REFUSED A TURN AND THEN A DSCNT CLRNC. THE FLC SAID THEY WERE IN EMER CONDITION. RPTR DSNDED ACR Y TO AVOID THE CONFLICT. THE FLC OF ACR X RESCINDED THE EMER WHEN ASKED THE NATURE OF THE EMER.
Narrative: ACR X WAS IN CONFLICT WITH ACR Y AT FL310. IN SECTOR 24'S AIRSPACE ACR X IS SWBOUND, ACR Y IS WBOUND THE CONFLICTION WILL OCCUR IN MY AIRSPACE ZDV SECTOR 18. ACR X CHKED ON MY FREQ 132.17 APPROX 4 MINS BEFORE THE CONFLICTION WILL OCCUR. I AM NOT YET IN COM WITH THE ACR Y ACFT. WHEN ACR X CHKED ON AN ISSUED 30 DEG L TURN FOR TFC, ACR X RESPONDED UNABLE TURN. I THEN ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL280 TO ACR X WITH AN EXPEDITE DSCNT. NO RESPONSE. TWICE MORE I TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THIS DSCNT TO ACR X. X RESPONDED THAT HE WAS IN AN EMER CONDITION. WE (SECTOR 18) IMMEDIATELY STARTED COORD WITH ZKC SECTORS 24 AND 20 TO MOVE ACR Y AS WELL AS AN ACFT E OF HYS OUT OF ACR X'S WAY. ACR Y CHKED ON MY FREQ AND I ISSUED AN EXPEDITE DSCNT TO FL280 WHICH THE PLT COMPLIED WITH. I ASKED ACR X TO STATE NATURE OF EMER AND HE RESCINDED HIS EMER REQUEST. THIS WAS A TIME CRITICAL SIT OCCURRING ON A VERY BUSY SECTOR DURING MASSIVE TSTM DEVS. I BELIEVE ACR X JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE MOVED AND INAPPROPRIATELY USED THE EMER PHRASE, THUS CAUSING A HAZARDOUS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY FOLLOW-UP WITH ACR X REGARDING THE EMER CONDITION. RPTR REPLIED THAT HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY FOLLOW-UP. RPTR INDICATED THAT UPPER MGMNT WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE ACR. RPTR ALLEGED THAT THIS ACR HAS DONE THIS BEFORE AND INDICATED IT USUALLY PERTAINED TO SOME WX TYPE CONDITION.
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.