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Less than standard separation occurred when reporter's B747 conflicts with an opposite direction aircraft at FL285 while in a descent to FL280. Controller turned both aircraft away from each other. Aircraft passed 3-4 mi apart.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 370318 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sha |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28500 msl bound upper : 28500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : eisn tower : sav |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic enroute airway : eisn |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16000 |
| ASRS Report | 370318 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 21000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Our clearance from shannon control was to be level at FL280 at 53n15w. We started our descent from FL310 39 mi east 53n15w, as we were passing through FL285 (approximately). We were given a command by the shannon controller to turn 20 degrees to the left. The next command by shannon ATC was to aircraft X to turn 20 degrees to the left and climb to FL310. As we rolled out on our new heading we saw aircraft X in a climbing turn approximately 3-4 mi to our right. Because of an alert controller, who was very busy at that time, a closer near miss was avoided. Both crews acted quickly without hesitation and the worst thing that happened was that we got a close look at each other. Perhaps if we were equipped with TCASII we might have detected it before the controller.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LTSS OCCURRED WHEN RPTR'S B747 CONFLICTS WITH AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT AT FL285 WHILE IN A DSCNT TO FL280. CTLR TURNED BOTH ACFT AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. ACFT PASSED 3-4 MI APART.
Narrative: OUR CLRNC FROM SHANNON CTL WAS TO BE LEVEL AT FL280 AT 53N15W. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT FROM FL310 39 MI E 53N15W, AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH FL285 (APPROX). WE WERE GIVEN A COMMAND BY THE SHANNON CTLR TO TURN 20 DEGS TO THE L. THE NEXT COMMAND BY SHANNON ATC WAS TO ACFT X TO TURN 20 DEGS TO THE L AND CLB TO FL310. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON OUR NEW HEADING WE SAW ACFT X IN A CLBING TURN APPROX 3-4 MI TO OUR R. BECAUSE OF AN ALERT CTLR, WHO WAS VERY BUSY AT THAT TIME, A CLOSER NEAR MISS WAS AVOIDED. BOTH CREWS ACTED QUICKLY WITHOUT HESITATION AND THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT WE GOT A CLOSE LOOK AT EACH OTHER. PERHAPS IF WE WERE EQUIPPED WITH TCASII WE MIGHT HAVE DETECTED IT BEFORE THE CTLR.
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.