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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Atx BE99 cargo flight inbound to bfi was given descent from 2000 ft as he approached bfi, but used a slow descent rate and saw an aircraft pass in close proximity overhead and inbound to sea. Reporter feels that he should have been descended sooner and alleges he couldn't descend faster because it would have been unsafe. Reporter is low time in type aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 370285 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bfi |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bfi |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Airliner 99 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | descent other other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 370285 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was flying from the east descending from 10000 ft and was restr to 2000 ft. About 5 mi out ATC told me to contact the tower (boeing) which I did. After contacting the tower, the tower did not cancel the altitude restr until I was entering downwind. On the downwind I saw another aircraft overhead going into seattle-tacoma. We missed each other by 400 ft. The corrective action that should be taken would be for the tower or ATC to cancel the altitude restr earlier. When I was approaching downwind at 2000 ft MSL, the tower ended the restr and if I descended at a rate to reach tpa (traffic pattern altitude) I would have had to put my airplane in an unsafe descent. If I would have descended at this rapid rate of a descent to get down to the tpa that would have put me, my airplane, and the traffic around me in an unsafe situation. My actions after the altitude restr was canceled, knowing that I was unable to reach the tpa, was to descend at a safe a rate as possible. This rate put me about 400 ft below traffic landing at tacoma international.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATX BE99 CARGO FLT INBOUND TO BFI WAS GIVEN DSCNT FROM 2000 FT AS HE APCHED BFI, BUT USED A SLOW DSCNT RATE AND SAW AN ACFT PASS IN CLOSE PROX OVERHEAD AND INBOUND TO SEA. RPTR FEELS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DSNDED SOONER AND ALLEGES HE COULDN'T DSND FASTER BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. RPTR IS LOW TIME IN TYPE ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM THE E DSNDING FROM 10000 FT AND WAS RESTR TO 2000 FT. ABOUT 5 MI OUT ATC TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR (BOEING) WHICH I DID. AFTER CONTACTING THE TWR, THE TWR DID NOT CANCEL THE ALT RESTR UNTIL I WAS ENTERING DOWNWIND. ON THE DOWNWIND I SAW ANOTHER ACFT OVERHEAD GOING INTO SEATTLE-TACOMA. WE MISSED EACH OTHER BY 400 FT. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN WOULD BE FOR THE TWR OR ATC TO CANCEL THE ALT RESTR EARLIER. WHEN I WAS APCHING DOWNWIND AT 2000 FT MSL, THE TWR ENDED THE RESTR AND IF I DSNDED AT A RATE TO REACH TPA (TFC PATTERN ALT) I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PUT MY AIRPLANE IN AN UNSAFE DSCNT. IF I WOULD HAVE DSNDED AT THIS RAPID RATE OF A DSCNT TO GET DOWN TO THE TPA THAT WOULD HAVE PUT ME, MY AIRPLANE, AND THE TFC AROUND ME IN AN UNSAFE SIT. MY ACTIONS AFTER THE ALT RESTR WAS CANCELED, KNOWING THAT I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE TPA, WAS TO DSND AT A SAFE A RATE AS POSSIBLE. THIS RATE PUT ME ABOUT 400 FT BELOW TFC LNDG AT TACOMA INTL.
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.