2 small transport descending into gso, nc, airspace have a less severe near midair collision as a re...

Attributes
ACN	382752
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso airport : igx
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gso
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PA-60 600 Aerostar
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 96 flight time total : 14705 flight time type : 29
ASRS Report	382752
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	382761
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Left seat PIC was flying the aircraft. Received garbled transmission from greensboro approach control on 118.5 MHZ to 'make an immediate right turn to heading 180 degrees.' sic asked for confirmation that that transmission was for our aircraft. The female controller responded 'affirmative. Make an immediate right turn to 180 degrees.' at the time, we were heading 105 degrees in a gradual descent through 5300 ft for 5000 ft assigned. PIC immediately disengaged the autoplt and rolled into a rapid 45 degree angle of bank turn. PIC simultaneously looked outside to clear the area for the turn and immediately noticed another aircraft (beech baron) turning towards our aircraft. PIC immediately stopped the turn to avoid any further conflict with that aircraft and heard the pilot of the baron say to the controller 'you just turned us into another aircraft.' had we turned as soon as we heard the first transmission, the separation between the 2 aircraft would have been far less. As it actually happened, we would have passed behind the baron by about 1/2 mi had we not seen the baron and completed the turn to 180 degrees. Passenger were concerned enough to ask what had happened. 1 passenger saw the baron as it passed us to the right. Supplemental information from acn 382761: gso approach control gave us an immediate right turn to 180 degrees. I was unsure I had heard correctly so I asked the controller to repeat, which she did. As we began our turn an aerostar flashed by our right side, he was also in a right turn. We heard him say to the controller 'you turned me right into the other plane' meaning us. A new control voice came on and we resumed our heading to igx. After landing we called gso approach on the phone, and they acknowledged she turned our plane and the other plane into each other instead of away from each other. They said the controller had relieved herself of duty, and an investigation had started. I'm glad I delayed to question them before turning.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMT DSNDING INTO GSO, NC, AIRSPACE HAVE A LESS SEVERE NMAC AS A RESULT OF A CTLR ERROR.

Narrative: L SEAT PIC WAS FLYING THE ACFT. RECEIVED GARBLED XMISSION FROM GREENSBORO APCH CTL ON 118.5 MHZ TO 'MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS.' SIC ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THAT XMISSION WAS FOR OUR ACFT. THE FEMALE CTLR RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE. MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 180 DEGS.' AT THE TIME, WE WERE HDG 105 DEGS IN A GRADUAL DSCNT THROUGH 5300 FT FOR 5000 FT ASSIGNED. PIC IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND ROLLED INTO A RAPID 45 DEG ANGLE OF BANK TURN. PIC SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKED OUTSIDE TO CLR THE AREA FOR THE TURN AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT (BEECH BARON) TURNING TOWARDS OUR ACFT. PIC IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE TURN TO AVOID ANY FURTHER CONFLICT WITH THAT ACFT AND HEARD THE PLT OF THE BARON SAY TO THE CTLR 'YOU JUST TURNED US INTO ANOTHER ACFT.' HAD WE TURNED AS SOON AS WE HEARD THE FIRST XMISSION, THE SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR LESS. AS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, WE WOULD HAVE PASSED BEHIND THE BARON BY ABOUT 1/2 MI HAD WE NOT SEEN THE BARON AND COMPLETED THE TURN TO 180 DEGS. PAX WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH TO ASK WHAT HAD HAPPENED. 1 PAX SAW THE BARON AS IT PASSED US TO THE R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 382761: GSO APCH CTL GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 180 DEGS. I WAS UNSURE I HAD HEARD CORRECTLY SO I ASKED THE CTLR TO REPEAT, WHICH SHE DID. AS WE BEGAN OUR TURN AN AEROSTAR FLASHED BY OUR R SIDE, HE WAS ALSO IN A R TURN. WE HEARD HIM SAY TO THE CTLR 'YOU TURNED ME RIGHT INTO THE OTHER PLANE' MEANING US. A NEW CTL VOICE CAME ON AND WE RESUMED OUR HEADING TO IGX. AFTER LNDG WE CALLED GSO APCH ON THE PHONE, AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED SHE TURNED OUR PLANE AND THE OTHER PLANE INTO EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. THEY SAID THE CTLR HAD RELIEVED HERSELF OF DUTY, AND AN INVESTIGATION HAD STARTED. I'M GLAD I DELAYED TO QUESTION THEM BEFORE TURNING.

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.

2 small transport descending into gso, nc, airspace have a less severe near midair collision as a result of a controller error.