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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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This has the appearance of an less than standard separation between an air carrier turboprop at 15000 ft and a climbing air carrier B737 climbing to 14000 ft. Reporter, having sighted the B737 on TCASII and visually, turned parallel to the jet and subsequently away from it and dove to 13500 ft when the TCASII target was touching reporter's target at the same altitude. Reporter received no TCASII RA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 377142 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bld airport : las |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13500 msl bound upper : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 390 |
| ASRS Report | 377142 |
| 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 : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We got a TCASII TA at our 7 O'clock less than 2 mi, showing a climbing target. I looked over my left shoulder and immediately saw a B737 on about a 20 degree converging course. I was startled that it was that close without the ZLA controller mentioning it to us. The initial advisory showed 700 ft below us, climbing. I immediately turned parallel to his course, but the TCASII target kept climbing, it went from -700 ft to -300 ft in a few seconds, still closing in on us. Having turned my tail towards him, I could not see the B737 any more, but by this time the TCASII showed him right behind with the 2 targets touching, him still climbing. I was very surprised that our TCASII had not given us an RA by this time and in order to avoid a possible collision I turned further right and dove, as the target was touching ours from behind, at the same altitude. I leveled off at about 13500 ft (we were assigned 15000 ft and the B737 14000 ft) and watched the B737 go by to my left, by now above us. With hindsight I should have just turned 90 degrees right and not descended, but the whole incident only took about 15 seconds. I do not know why we got the TCASII indications we did. What I saw was an aircraft climbing right into us from behind and my climb capability was limited.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THIS HAS THE APPEARANCE OF AN LTSS BTWN AN ACR TURBOPROP AT 15000 FT AND A CLBING ACR B737 CLBING TO 14000 FT. RPTR, HAVING SIGHTED THE B737 ON TCASII AND VISUALLY, TURNED PARALLEL TO THE JET AND SUBSEQUENTLY AWAY FROM IT AND DOVE TO 13500 FT WHEN THE TCASII TARGET WAS TOUCHING RPTR'S TARGET AT THE SAME ALT. RPTR RECEIVED NO TCASII RA.
Narrative: WE GOT A TCASII TA AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK LESS THAN 2 MI, SHOWING A CLBING TARGET. I LOOKED OVER MY L SHOULDER AND IMMEDIATELY SAW A B737 ON ABOUT A 20 DEG CONVERGING COURSE. I WAS STARTLED THAT IT WAS THAT CLOSE WITHOUT THE ZLA CTLR MENTIONING IT TO US. THE INITIAL ADVISORY SHOWED 700 FT BELOW US, CLBING. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED PARALLEL TO HIS COURSE, BUT THE TCASII TARGET KEPT CLBING, IT WENT FROM -700 FT TO -300 FT IN A FEW SECONDS, STILL CLOSING IN ON US. HAVING TURNED MY TAIL TOWARDS HIM, I COULD NOT SEE THE B737 ANY MORE, BUT BY THIS TIME THE TCASII SHOWED HIM RIGHT BEHIND WITH THE 2 TARGETS TOUCHING, HIM STILL CLBING. I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT OUR TCASII HAD NOT GIVEN US AN RA BY THIS TIME AND IN ORDER TO AVOID A POSSIBLE COLLISION I TURNED FURTHER R AND DOVE, AS THE TARGET WAS TOUCHING OURS FROM BEHIND, AT THE SAME ALT. I LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 13500 FT (WE WERE ASSIGNED 15000 FT AND THE B737 14000 FT) AND WATCHED THE B737 GO BY TO MY L, BY NOW ABOVE US. WITH HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE JUST TURNED 90 DEGS R AND NOT DSNDED, BUT THE WHOLE INCIDENT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 15 SECONDS. I DO NOT KNOW WHY WE GOT THE TCASII INDICATIONS WE DID. WHAT I SAW WAS AN ACFT CLBING RIGHT INTO US FROM BEHIND AND MY CLB CAPABILITY WAS LIMITED.
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.