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A DC9 flight crew turns the aircraft the wrong direction when issued a traffic avoidance heading at FL280. The first officer had read back the clearance correctly but the captain misinterpreted the direction. First officer cites frequency congestion as reason for delay in affirming heading or direction of turn. Controller issues another clearance, 3 times.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 394700 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199802 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pie |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| ASRS Report | 394700 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Navigating GPS direct to tepee intersection, ZJX (125.17) issued a turn 'right 30 degrees.' I read back the clearance. However, the captain mistakenly turned left. I tried to confirm direction of turn with ATC but due to unusually high radio congestion, my transmission was blocked. By this time we were already 30 degrees left of original heading. I kept trying to talk to ATC but was unable to communicate. ATC then told us there was a traffic conflict and said 2-3 times 'immediately turn right to a heading of 270 degrees, descend and maintain FL270,' and added she had given us a right turn. Contributing factors: overcongestion on the frequency, too many airplanes. More talking than usual due to bad WX causing deviations. Unnecessary communications tying up frequency for longer than necessary with both ATC and aircraft. Ex, the controller issued our evasive clearance 2-3 times. One would have been enough, more is a waste of valuable air time. Specifying a specific heading, ex, 'turn right to a heading of 270 degrees' instead of issued 'turn right 30 degrees' would eliminate l-r turning errors.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC9 FLC TURNS THE ACFT THE WRONG DIRECTION WHEN ISSUED A TFC AVOIDANCE HEADING AT FL280. THE FO HAD READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY BUT THE CAPT MISINTERPRETED THE DIRECTION. FO CITES FREQ CONGESTION AS REASON FOR DELAY IN AFFIRMING HEADING OR DIRECTION OF TURN. CTLR ISSUES ANOTHER CLRNC, 3 TIMES.
Narrative: NAVING GPS DIRECT TO TEPEE INTXN, ZJX (125.17) ISSUED A TURN 'R 30 DEGS.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC. HOWEVER, THE CAPT MISTAKENLY TURNED L. I TRIED TO CONFIRM DIRECTION OF TURN WITH ATC BUT DUE TO UNUSUALLY HIGH RADIO CONGESTION, MY XMISSION WAS BLOCKED. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALREADY 30 DEGS L OF ORIGINAL HEADING. I KEPT TRYING TO TALK TO ATC BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE. ATC THEN TOLD US THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT AND SAID 2-3 TIMES 'IMMEDIATELY TURN R TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS, DSND AND MAINTAIN FL270,' AND ADDED SHE HAD GIVEN US A R TURN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: OVERCONGESTION ON THE FREQ, TOO MANY AIRPLANES. MORE TALKING THAN USUAL DUE TO BAD WX CAUSING DEVS. UNNECESSARY COMS TYING UP FREQ FOR LONGER THAN NECESSARY WITH BOTH ATC AND ACFT. EX, THE CTLR ISSUED OUR EVASIVE CLRNC 2-3 TIMES. ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH, MORE IS A WASTE OF VALUABLE AIR TIME. SPECIFYING A SPECIFIC HEADING, EX, 'TURN R TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS' INSTEAD OF ISSUED 'TURN R 30 DEGS' WOULD ELIMINATE L-R TURNING ERRORS.
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.