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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A svzm ARTCC controller issued multiple vector headings to provide approximately 20 mi in trail between 2 acrs at the same altitude. The succeeding aircraft reported the preceding air carrier in sight and was providing visual separation. Closest distance estimated was 5 mi. Reporter implies language was a factor. Reporter states that TCASII assisted in determining if there could be potential conflict.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 391276 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : miq |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : svzm |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 391276 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approximately 30 NM north of miq at FL370, started to receive strange vectors from miq center, ie, turn left 050-360 degrees, turn left 360 degree turn, proceed cma. After first 050 degree heading command, other first officer noticed an aircraft at our 7 O'clock position, same heading. This other aircraft was air carrier Y. They said they had us in sight and they were keeping visual separation. Controller also gave air carrier Y numerous erroneous vectors, causing us to zigzag across one another's paths. Controller was noticeably shaken and nervous. His voice was weak and trembling until we had around 20 mi of separation. Estimate of separation by visual and TCASII estimates was 5 NM at same altitude. I believe that had air carrier Y not seen us visually, we definitely would have either had a TCASII RA or an extremely close encounter. WX was clear, no moon. Radio was extremely congested with calls to other aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A SVZM ARTCC CTLR ISSUED MULTIPLE VECTOR HDGS TO PROVIDE APPROX 20 MI IN TRAIL BTWN 2 ACRS AT THE SAME ALT. THE SUCCEEDING ACFT RPTED THE PRECEDING ACR IN SIGHT AND WAS PROVIDING VISUAL SEPARATION. CLOSEST DISTANCE ESTIMATED WAS 5 MI. RPTR IMPLIES LANGUAGE WAS A FACTOR. RPTR STATES THAT TCASII ASSISTED IN DETERMINING IF THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL CONFLICT.
Narrative: APPROX 30 NM N OF MIQ AT FL370, STARTED TO RECEIVE STRANGE VECTORS FROM MIQ CTR, IE, TURN L 050-360 DEGS, TURN L 360 DEG TURN, PROCEED CMA. AFTER FIRST 050 DEG HDG COMMAND, OTHER FO NOTICED AN ACFT AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK POS, SAME HDG. THIS OTHER ACFT WAS ACR Y. THEY SAID THEY HAD US IN SIGHT AND THEY WERE KEEPING VISUAL SEPARATION. CTLR ALSO GAVE ACR Y NUMEROUS ERRONEOUS VECTORS, CAUSING US TO ZIGZAG ACROSS ONE ANOTHER'S PATHS. CTLR WAS NOTICEABLY SHAKEN AND NERVOUS. HIS VOICE WAS WEAK AND TREMBLING UNTIL WE HAD AROUND 20 MI OF SEPARATION. ESTIMATE OF SEPARATION BY VISUAL AND TCASII ESTIMATES WAS 5 NM AT SAME ALT. I BELIEVE THAT HAD ACR Y NOT SEEN US VISUALLY, WE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE EITHER HAD A TCASII RA OR AN EXTREMELY CLOSE ENCOUNTER. WX WAS CLR, NO MOON. RADIO WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED WITH CALLS TO OTHER ACFT.
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.