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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A controller in the jump seat of an air carrier MD80 witnesses an near midair collision with another aircraft at 17000 ft. He was impressed with the flight crew's response and the ARTCC controller's apparent lack of concern.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 373393 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Military |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 5 |
| ASRS Report | 373393 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was on an air carrier familiarization flight (fam-flight) riding jump seat from aus-dfw. We were level at 17000 ft about 15 mins from landing at dfw. I noticed on TCASII an aircraft heading right at us, with altitude showing '+5' (500 ft above). TA went off, then an RA to 'descend.' captain clicked off autoplt and nosed her over, while first officer looked visually for traffic and told ZFW we're responding to an RA. Captain monitored TCASII while descending. We never saw aircraft. Controller said after we told him about the traffic, 'VFR traffic is at 17500 ft.' (gee thanks.) captain came back and told him TCASII showed him at 17300 ft. While I'm not 100% sure, I believe unknown VFR aircraft was military and that the controller was talking to him. A timely traffic call would have been appreciated. As a controller, this episode has reminded me how important those traffic calls are. I was impressed with this crew's CRM in handling this situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CTLR IN THE JUMP SEAT OF AN ACR MD80 WITNESSES AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER ACFT AT 17000 FT. HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE FLC'S RESPONSE AND THE ARTCC CTLR'S APPARENT LACK OF CONCERN.
Narrative: I WAS ON AN ACR FAMILIARIZATION FLT (FAM-FLT) RIDING JUMP SEAT FROM AUS-DFW. WE WERE LEVEL AT 17000 FT ABOUT 15 MINS FROM LNDG AT DFW. I NOTICED ON TCASII AN ACFT HEADING RIGHT AT US, WITH ALT SHOWING '+5' (500 FT ABOVE). TA WENT OFF, THEN AN RA TO 'DSND.' CAPT CLICKED OFF AUTOPLT AND NOSED HER OVER, WHILE FO LOOKED VISUALLY FOR TFC AND TOLD ZFW WE'RE RESPONDING TO AN RA. CAPT MONITORED TCASII WHILE DSNDING. WE NEVER SAW ACFT. CTLR SAID AFTER WE TOLD HIM ABOUT THE TFC, 'VFR TFC IS AT 17500 FT.' (GEE THANKS.) CAPT CAME BACK AND TOLD HIM TCASII SHOWED HIM AT 17300 FT. WHILE I'M NOT 100% SURE, I BELIEVE UNKNOWN VFR ACFT WAS MIL AND THAT THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO HIM. A TIMELY TFC CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED. AS A CTLR, THIS EPISODE HAS REMINDED ME HOW IMPORTANT THOSE TFC CALLS ARE. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THIS CREW'S CRM IN HANDLING THIS SIT.
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.