 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Departure B737 off runway 15R turns left into path of departure commuter off runway 15L. First officer on B737 failed to confirm clearance although the direction of turn didn't seem right to him. Possible system error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 364930 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bwi tower : bwi |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff cruise other |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure other 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 : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 364930 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Departing bwi runway 15R, the captain and I both understood the tower to say turn left to heading 330 degrees, climb to 4000 ft and contact departure control. I remember thinking momentarily that was the long way around for our wbound flight, but the captain had already started the turn as I reset the heading bug and switched radio frequencys, so I didn't question the tower's instructions. After switching to departure control, we heard them telling a commuter aircraft, departing runway 15L, to look for us. As we crossed the runway 15L departure path, we received a TCASII RA with a red arc below 2500 FPM climb. The commuter aircraft reported that he had us in sight and leveled off to maintain separation although we never saw him. Departure control later asked us what our departure instructions were and told us that '90% of the time runway 15R departures turn right.' our instructions should have been right to heading 330 degrees. The lesson learned: if it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Next time, I'll question it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DEP B737 OFF RWY 15R TURNS L INTO PATH OF DEP COMMUTER OFF RWY 15L. FO ON B737 FAILED TO CONFIRM CLRNC ALTHOUGH THE DIRECTION OF TURN DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT TO HIM. POSSIBLE SYS ERROR.
Narrative: DEPARTING BWI RWY 15R, THE CAPT AND I BOTH UNDERSTOOD THE TWR TO SAY TURN L TO HDG 330 DEGS, CLB TO 4000 FT AND CONTACT DEP CTL. I REMEMBER THINKING MOMENTARILY THAT WAS THE LONG WAY AROUND FOR OUR WBOUND FLT, BUT THE CAPT HAD ALREADY STARTED THE TURN AS I RESET THE HDG BUG AND SWITCHED RADIO FREQS, SO I DIDN'T QUESTION THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP CTL, WE HEARD THEM TELLING A COMMUTER ACFT, DEPARTING RWY 15L, TO LOOK FOR US. AS WE CROSSED THE RWY 15L DEP PATH, WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA WITH A RED ARC BELOW 2500 FPM CLB. THE COMMUTER ACFT RPTED THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT AND LEVELED OFF TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION ALTHOUGH WE NEVER SAW HIM. DEP CTL LATER ASKED US WHAT OUR DEP INSTRUCTIONS WERE AND TOLD US THAT '90% OF THE TIME RWY 15R DEPS TURN R.' OUR INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN R TO HDG 330 DEGS. THE LESSON LEARNED: IF IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT, IT PROBABLY ISN'T. NEXT TIME, I'LL QUESTION IT.
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.