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An air carrier flight crew reports that they had an near midair collision in the traffic pattern when the tower controller had traffic pass under them during their visual approach. The air carrier's TCASII was not operating and the flight crew did not see the traffic until it passed under their nose.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 379765 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : eyw |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : eyw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 379765 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Tower advised traffic. We (first officer) said that traffic was not in sight to tower. Tower instructed us to fly to the northwest corner of key west island. We did. We asked tower where the traffic was. They said they were on a 2 mi final. We then saw the traffic pass under our nose. After the traffic passed by, another tower controller grabbed the microphone and told us to 'go around' climb and maintain 1500 ft heading 180 degrees. It is my opinion that the tower controller was using his depth perception to give us interval -- perhaps because our aircraft was larger than the light twin he was confused. Also, our TCASII system was MEL'ed. If our TCASII was working, this whole incident would not have occurred. Also, we were on an IFR visual approach and tower was treating us as if we were VFR.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC RPTS THAT THEY HAD AN NMAC IN THE TFC PATTERN WHEN THE TWR CTLR HAD TFC PASS UNDER THEM DURING THEIR VISUAL APCH. THE ACR'S TCASII WAS NOT OPERATING AND THE FLC DID NOT SEE THE TFC UNTIL IT PASSED UNDER THEIR NOSE.
Narrative: TWR ADVISED TFC. WE (FO) SAID THAT TFC WAS NOT IN SIGHT TO TWR. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO FLY TO THE NW CORNER OF KEY WEST ISLAND. WE DID. WE ASKED TWR WHERE THE TFC WAS. THEY SAID THEY WERE ON A 2 MI FINAL. WE THEN SAW THE TFC PASS UNDER OUR NOSE. AFTER THE TFC PASSED BY, ANOTHER TWR CTLR GRABBED THE MIKE AND TOLD US TO 'GAR' CLB AND MAINTAIN 1500 FT HDG 180 DEGS. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS USING HIS DEPTH PERCEPTION TO GIVE US INTERVAL -- PERHAPS BECAUSE OUR ACFT WAS LARGER THAN THE LIGHT TWIN HE WAS CONFUSED. ALSO, OUR TCASII SYS WAS MEL'ED. IF OUR TCASII WAS WORKING, THIS WHOLE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. ALSO, WE WERE ON AN IFR VISUAL APCH AND TWR WAS TREATING US AS IF WE WERE VFR.
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.