37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 364469 |
Time | |
Date | 199703 |
Day | Fri |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : vkz |
State Reference | FL |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Dusk |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Navigation In Use | Other |
Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : mia |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Aircraft 2 | |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Navigation In Use | Other Other |
Flight Phase | cruise other |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 163 flight time total : 12300 flight time type : 3411 |
ASRS Report | 364469 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
Events | |
Anomaly | non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | Other |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 7800 vertical : 200 |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
While en route to mia from mygf (freeport, bahamas), established on BR68V and intercepting V295 to vkz, it was believed that we were given a descent to 10000 ft from our present altitude of 11000 ft. However, there was extremely high congestion on the frequency and part of the controller's transmission was cut out. We wanted to confirm the believed descent instruction but could not do so, therefore we stayed level at 11000 ft. Soon after, we were alerted by TCASII of traffic at 4 O'clock, same altitude, same heading. While getting the traffic in sight (an airbus) we were given a heading change to 270 degrees -- right into the traffic. Still unable to advise due to congestion, we purposely delayed our turn so as to pass behind the fast-moving traffic. It was later learned that one controller was training another, which explained the change of voices about midway through this event. It is my feeling that the area was far too busy to be handled by just 1 person, as confirmations or even acknowledgements to given instructions could not be easily made. A similar problem is encountered at mia when on tower and/or ground frequencys during certain periods of the day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: OPERROR OCCURRED WHEN COMMUTER FLC DIDN'T DSND FROM 11000 FT TO 10000 FT AS THE CTLR'S XMISSION WAS CUT OUT AND FLC COULD NOT CONFIRM THE CLRNC DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. RPTR RECEIVED TCASII ALERT ON AN AIRBUS VISUALLY SIGHTED AT THE SAME ALT. RPTR DELAYED A SUBSEQUENT VECTOR TURN UNTIL THE AIRBUS HAD PASSED.
Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO MIA FROM MYGF (FREEPORT, BAHAMAS), ESTABLISHED ON BR68V AND INTERCEPTING V295 TO VKZ, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 10000 FT FROM OUR PRESENT ALT OF 11000 FT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS EXTREMELY HIGH CONGESTION ON THE FREQ AND PART OF THE CTLR'S XMISSION WAS CUT OUT. WE WANTED TO CONFIRM THE BELIEVED DSCNT INSTRUCTION BUT COULD NOT DO SO, THEREFORE WE STAYED LEVEL AT 11000 FT. SOON AFTER, WE WERE ALERTED BY TCASII OF TFC AT 4 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT, SAME HDG. WHILE GETTING THE TFC IN SIGHT (AN AIRBUS) WE WERE GIVEN A HDG CHANGE TO 270 DEGS -- RIGHT INTO THE TFC. STILL UNABLE TO ADVISE DUE TO CONGESTION, WE PURPOSELY DELAYED OUR TURN SO AS TO PASS BEHIND THE FAST-MOVING TFC. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT ONE CTLR WAS TRAINING ANOTHER, WHICH EXPLAINED THE CHANGE OF VOICES ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THIS EVENT. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THE AREA WAS FAR TOO BUSY TO BE HANDLED BY JUST 1 PERSON, AS CONFIRMATIONS OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS COULD NOT BE EASILY MADE. A SIMILAR PROB IS ENCOUNTERED AT MIA WHEN ON TWR AND/OR GND FREQS DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE DAY.
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.