<< >> NASA ASRS Report 350670, October 1996

Approach controller issues descent clearance to occupied altitude to aircraft Y, a B727. That altitude occupied by aircraft X, a commuter flight. PIC of aircraft X catches erroneous clearance.

Attributes
ACN	350670
Time
Date	199610
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	350670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Inbound to atl, GA. The last center frequency had cleared us direct la grange VOR, la grange 6 arrival to atl and cross 40 mi out of atl at 12000 ft, which was honie intersection. Around honie intersection center had us contact atl approach, which we did, reporting level at 12000 ft. Normally, approach would have us at 11000 ft now but I didn't question it. Another airline's B727 was above us at 14000 ft, also on the arrival. When approach cleared him to 12000 ft, I questioned approach about our altitude and he had the B727 level at 13000 ft and we descended to 11000 ft. He thanked us for the heads up. I believe he just didn't get us down although he thought we were. The B727 didn't get within 1000 ft of us so I believe we didn't have a separation problem.

Related reports:

• Twf approach controller reported an aircraft began their des...
• Approach controller challenged aircraft altitude at 5000' af...
• Approach controller gave descent and vector clearance to wro...
• Approach controller gave descent instructions for traffic, T...
• Approach controller at hou may have issued the wrong descent...
• Approach controller issued descent clearance which was sligh...

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

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR ISSUES DSCNT CLRNC TO OCCUPIED ALT TO ACFT Y, A B727. THAT ALT OCCUPIED BY ACFT X, A COMMUTER FLT. PIC OF ACFT X CATCHES ERRONEOUS CLRNC.

Narrative: INBOUND TO ATL, GA. THE LAST CTR FREQ HAD CLRED US DIRECT LA GRANGE VOR, LA GRANGE 6 ARR TO ATL AND CROSS 40 MI OUT OF ATL AT 12000 FT, WHICH WAS HONIE INTXN. AROUND HONIE INTXN CTR HAD US CONTACT ATL APCH, WHICH WE DID, RPTING LEVEL AT 12000 FT. NORMALLY, APCH WOULD HAVE US AT 11000 FT NOW BUT I DIDN'T QUESTION IT. ANOTHER AIRLINE'S B727 WAS ABOVE US AT 14000 FT, ALSO ON THE ARR. WHEN APCH CLRED HIM TO 12000 FT, I QUESTIONED APCH ABOUT OUR ALT AND HE HAD THE B727 LEVEL AT 13000 FT AND WE DSNDED TO 11000 FT. HE THANKED US FOR THE HEADS UP. I BELIEVE HE JUST DIDN'T GET US DOWN ALTHOUGH HE THOUGHT WE WERE. THE B727 DIDN'T GET WITHIN 1000 FT OF US SO I BELIEVE WE DIDN'T HAVE A SEPARATION PROB.

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.