<< >> NASA ASRS Report 356445, December 1996

TCASII while on STAR into dfw. Intruder aircraft was a 'skydive' aircraft. Reporter's question why such an aircraft is at their altitude and in the arrival path of aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	356445
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tower : hog
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	356445
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	356442
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Either misread or misset frequency when changed to dfw approach control. Knew frequency wrong when mcallen texas tower answered second call. In the midst of discovering error, going back to ZFW and getting appropriate frequency and checking in with approach control, got TA then RA. Climbed in accordance with RA. Climbed to 12000 ft. Saw red and white cessna pass 2-3 NM to our left at approximately 11000 ft heading northwest. Heard dfw approach control call the cessna 'skydive xx.' what was 'skydive xx' doing heading nwesterly at 11000 ft? Why right on the bowie one path, at the arrival altitude? Also, was 'skydive xx' dropping jumpers in close proximity to the runway 13R approach path to dfw? The frequency confusion hence the late contact with approach control undoubtedly contributed to the problem. TCASII avoided a near miss. 'Skydive xx' should not have been where he was when he was.

Related reports:

• TCASII RA. Due to faulty mode C in intruder aircraft, report...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII WHILE ON STAR INTO DFW. INTRUDER ACFT WAS A 'SKYDIVE' ACFT. RPTR'S QUESTION WHY SUCH AN ACFT IS AT THEIR ALT AND IN THE ARR PATH OF ACFT.

Narrative: EITHER MISREAD OR MISSET FREQ WHEN CHANGED TO DFW APCH CTL. KNEW FREQ WRONG WHEN MCALLEN TEXAS TWR ANSWERED SECOND CALL. IN THE MIDST OF DISCOVERING ERROR, GOING BACK TO ZFW AND GETTING APPROPRIATE FREQ AND CHKING IN WITH APCH CTL, GOT TA THEN RA. CLBED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RA. CLBED TO 12000 FT. SAW RED AND WHITE CESSNA PASS 2-3 NM TO OUR L AT APPROX 11000 FT HEADING NW. HEARD DFW APCH CTL CALL THE CESSNA 'SKYDIVE XX.' WHAT WAS 'SKYDIVE XX' DOING HEADING NWESTERLY AT 11000 FT? WHY R ON THE BOWIE ONE PATH, AT THE ARR ALT? ALSO, WAS 'SKYDIVE XX' DROPPING JUMPERS IN CLOSE PROX TO THE RWY 13R APCH PATH TO DFW? THE FREQ CONFUSION HENCE THE LATE CONTACT WITH APCH CTL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. TCASII AVOIDED A NEAR MISS. 'SKYDIVE XX' SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WHERE HE WAS WHEN HE WAS.

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.