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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier B737 flight crew apparently, although disputed by the flight crew, copies another's clearance and starts descent. The ARTCC controller did not catch the error in their readback. During the descent there was a less than standard separation event with an MD80.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 380024 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : eca |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27300 msl bound upper : 27300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| 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 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 380024 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Controller says 'descend now to FL240.' we read back 'call sign down to FL240.' as we started out of FL280 we picked up traffic on TCASII at FL270, 10 mi, moving from 1 O'clock to 11 O'clock. As we arrested the descent at FL273 ATC says, 'say altitude' etc, and informs us that we were never cleared to FL240! We think we were and we definitely read it back.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B737 FLC APPARENTLY, ALTHOUGH DISPUTED BY THE FLC, COPIES ANOTHER'S CLRNC AND STARTS DSCNT. THE ARTCC CTLR DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR IN THEIR READBACK. DURING THE DSCNT THERE WAS A LTSS EVENT WITH AN MD80.
Narrative: CTLR SAYS 'DSND NOW TO FL240.' WE READ BACK 'CALL SIGN DOWN TO FL240.' AS WE STARTED OUT OF FL280 WE PICKED UP TFC ON TCASII AT FL270, 10 MI, MOVING FROM 1 O'CLOCK TO 11 O'CLOCK. AS WE ARRESTED THE DSCNT AT FL273 ATC SAYS, 'SAY ALT' ETC, AND INFORMS US THAT WE WERE NEVER CLRED TO FL240! WE THINK WE WERE AND WE DEFINITELY READ IT BACK.
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.