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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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B737-400 flight crew receives a clearance from departure controller then switched to center controller. During climb they receive a TCASII alert and watch traffic pass 500 ft above. On querying controller they have indications that there was a controller mixup due to similar call signs.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 360291 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mkc |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc tracon : mkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 70 |
| ASRS Report | 360291 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
A developing near hit on departure from mkc runway 19R, heading assigned 080 degrees and altitude 10000 ft. We were handed off from departure control frequency 132.95 (controller a) to controller B, 125.25. Checking in with controller B, we were cleared to FL230. After initiating climb, at 10500 ft, captain observed an aircraft right to left. TCASII indicated an altitude above us of approximately 1500 ft. Based upon our rate of climb it appeared we were going to have a conflict. Captain reduced our rate of climb immediately and the other aircraft passed 500 ft above us. We asked controller B if he saw the aircraft passing 500 ft above us. He said 'yes.' the captain then asked if he'd cleared us to FL230. He said yes. After a pause, he said contact controller a. Controller a said we were only cleared to 10000 ft and weren't you questioning your call sign as to ebc (or to that effect)? We said 'no,' then he handed us to ZKC controller B again. It seems that some similar call signs were to fault, as ours was ebb.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-400 FLC RECEIVES A CLRNC FROM DEP CTLR THEN SWITCHED TO CTR CTLR. DURING CLB THEY RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT AND WATCH TFC PASS 500 FT ABOVE. ON QUERYING CTLR THEY HAVE INDICATIONS THAT THERE WAS A CTLR MIXUP DUE TO SIMILAR CALL SIGNS.
Narrative: A DEVELOPING NEAR HIT ON DEP FROM MKC RWY 19R, HDG ASSIGNED 080 DEGS AND ALT 10000 FT. WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM DEP CTL FREQ 132.95 (CTLR A) TO CTLR B, 125.25. CHKING IN WITH CTLR B, WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. AFTER INITIATING CLB, AT 10500 FT, CAPT OBSERVED AN ACFT R TO L. TCASII INDICATED AN ALT ABOVE US OF APPROX 1500 FT. BASED UPON OUR RATE OF CLB IT APPEARED WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A CONFLICT. CAPT REDUCED OUR RATE OF CLB IMMEDIATELY AND THE OTHER ACFT PASSED 500 FT ABOVE US. WE ASKED CTLR B IF HE SAW THE ACFT PASSING 500 FT ABOVE US. HE SAID 'YES.' THE CAPT THEN ASKED IF HE'D CLRED US TO FL230. HE SAID YES. AFTER A PAUSE, HE SAID CONTACT CTLR A. CTLR A SAID WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 10000 FT AND WEREN'T YOU QUESTIONING YOUR CALL SIGN AS TO EBC (OR TO THAT EFFECT)? WE SAID 'NO,' THEN HE HANDED US TO ZKC CTLR B AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT SOME SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WERE TO FAULT, AS OURS WAS EBB.
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.