Narrative:

Approximately 50 mi west of ft mcmurry (ymm) we were cleared direct the pas (yqd). I loaded the coordinates in INS and we proceeded direct. A couple of mins later, we saw an aircraft at 9 O'clock and had an altitude alert on TCASII to climb. We climbed and a B747-400 passed below and aft of us. Edmonton center asked us if we were diverting for WX and we told him we were cleared direct yqd. We checked the coordinates for yqd and realized we had inserted N3558.4 rather than N5358.4. We immediately corrected the INS and went direct yqd. We were under radar control with edmonton center. Supplemental information from acn 375738: the captain loaded the latitude/longitude coordinates for yqd in the INS but I failed to check them. If I had checked the coordinates per SOP this incident would not have happened. Supplemental information from acn 375740: I was not in the cockpit during the above event as I was preparing the 3 crew meals. By the time that I returned to the cockpit the captain was talking to center about our heading. Supplemental information from acn 375745: we requested FL330 and edmonton center responded that it was available only with a rerte from our present position (vicinity of bejaw intersection) direct to ft nelson direct to whitehorse to expect FL350 prior to whitehorse due to conflicting traffic. We accepted the rerte and climbed to FL330. Approximately 130 mi ese of high level at FL330, we received a TCASII TA. We had been on alert for the traffic as it was displayed on our navigation display indicating our same altitude for some time. We immediately picked the DC10 up visually and my initial reaction was that it was diverging away from us. We were above an overcast with no visible contrails. Approximately 10-15 seconds after spotting the aircraft, we received a descend now command. I disconnected the autoplt and began a slow descent as we still had the aircraft in sight visually. He passed in front of us from right to left internally at a distance of 2 - 2 1/2 mi with a vertical separation estimated at 1000 ft. Center shortly thereafter apologized stating we should have cleared this traffic by 40 mi. A contributing factor might have been my decision to request and take a wrong way altitude. However, this was a radar environment. In retrospect, obtaining as much information as possible on potentially conflicting traffic would be the prudent avenue. I'm certainly convinced that TCASII played a major role in helping prevent a possible midair today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC10 WAS CLRED DIRECT TO YQD AND THE CAPT PUT THE WRONG COORDINATES IN THE INS CAUSING HIS ACFT TO BE CONSIDERABLY OFF COURSE. AN ACR B747-400 WAS ON A DIRECT RTE TO YYE AND AT WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT. THE ACFT BOTH RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR SAW THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THE ACFT BOTH FOLLOWED THEIR TCASII ADVISORIES, BUT LEGAL SEPARATION WAS LOST.

Narrative: APPROX 50 MI W OF FT MCMURRY (YMM) WE WERE CLRED DIRECT THE PAS (YQD). I LOADED THE COORDINATES IN INS AND WE PROCEEDED DIRECT. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, WE SAW AN ACFT AT 9 O'CLOCK AND HAD AN ALT ALERT ON TCASII TO CLB. WE CLBED AND A B747-400 PASSED BELOW AND AFT OF US. EDMONTON CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE DIVERTING FOR WX AND WE TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED DIRECT YQD. WE CHKED THE COORDINATES FOR YQD AND REALIZED WE HAD INSERTED N3558.4 RATHER THAN N5358.4. WE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED THE INS AND WENT DIRECT YQD. WE WERE UNDER RADAR CTL WITH EDMONTON CTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 375738: THE CAPT LOADED THE LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES FOR YQD IN THE INS BUT I FAILED TO CHK THEM. IF I HAD CHKED THE COORDINATES PER SOP THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 375740: I WAS NOT IN THE COCKPIT DURING THE ABOVE EVENT AS I WAS PREPARING THE 3 CREW MEALS. BY THE TIME THAT I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO CTR ABOUT OUR HDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 375745: WE REQUESTED FL330 AND EDMONTON CTR RESPONDED THAT IT WAS AVAILABLE ONLY WITH A RERTE FROM OUR PRESENT POS (VICINITY OF BEJAW INTXN) DIRECT TO FT NELSON DIRECT TO WHITEHORSE TO EXPECT FL350 PRIOR TO WHITEHORSE DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC. WE ACCEPTED THE RERTE AND CLBED TO FL330. APPROX 130 MI ESE OF HIGH LEVEL AT FL330, WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. WE HAD BEEN ON ALERT FOR THE TFC AS IT WAS DISPLAYED ON OUR NAV DISPLAY INDICATING OUR SAME ALT FOR SOME TIME. WE IMMEDIATELY PICKED THE DC10 UP VISUALLY AND MY INITIAL REACTION WAS THAT IT WAS DIVERGING AWAY FROM US. WE WERE ABOVE AN OVCST WITH NO VISIBLE CONTRAILS. APPROX 10-15 SECONDS AFTER SPOTTING THE ACFT, WE RECEIVED A DSND NOW COMMAND. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT AS WE STILL HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT VISUALLY. HE PASSED IN FRONT OF US FROM R TO L INTERNALLY AT A DISTANCE OF 2 - 2 1/2 MI WITH A VERT SEPARATION ESTIMATED AT 1000 FT. CTR SHORTLY THEREAFTER APOLOGIZED STATING WE SHOULD HAVE CLRED THIS TFC BY 40 MI. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY DECISION TO REQUEST AND TAKE A WRONG WAY ALT. HOWEVER, THIS WAS A RADAR ENVIRONMENT. IN RETROSPECT, OBTAINING AS MUCH INFO AS POSSIBLE ON POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC WOULD BE THE PRUDENT AVENUE. I'M CERTAINLY CONVINCED THAT TCASII PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN HELPING PREVENT A POSSIBLE MIDAIR TODAY.

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.