<< >> NASA ASRS Report 396460, March 1998

A DC9 climbing in dca, dc, airspace is given a heading change which the captain does not hear. When they do follow the controller request they pass with greater separation than if they had turned when the controller issued the first request to turn to a new heading.

Attributes
ACN	396460
Time
Date	199803
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	396460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZDC or center gave a clearance to climb from 7000 ft MSL to 17000 ft MSL and a turn to heading 340 degrees. Copilot acknowledged clearance, I did not hear the 'turn to 340 degrees.' began climb and saw traffic (a dash 8) at 1 O'clock position and above. We were climbing at 3500 FPM and got a TCASII TA. Had we been in a right turn to 340 degrees we would have passed very close to traffic level at 9000 ft. We called the dash 8 traffic in sight and departure/center(?) thanked us for the call and said to maintain visual. As we passed through 10000 ft MSL the copilot said we needed to turn to 340 degrees. Clear of traffic we began the turn just as the controller asked us for our heading. We told him we were above the traffic and turning to 340 degrees. He thanked us for our help and passed us on to the next frequency. It turned out to be lucky I didn't hear the assigned clearance to turn to 340 degree heading.

Related reports:

• B747 climbing is issued a TA and a heading which causes TCAS...
• A BE40 climbing off ttn on assigned heading had a TCASII RA ...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CLBING IN DCA, DC, AIRSPACE IS GIVEN A HEADING CHANGE WHICH THE CAPT DOES NOT HEAR. WHEN THEY DO FOLLOW THE CTLR REQUEST THEY PASS WITH GREATER SEPARATION THAN IF THEY HAD TURNED WHEN THE CTLR ISSUED THE FIRST REQUEST TO TURN TO A NEW HEADING.

Narrative: ZDC OR CTR GAVE A CLRNC TO CLB FROM 7000 FT MSL TO 17000 FT MSL AND A TURN TO HDG 340 DEGS. COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC, I DID NOT HEAR THE 'TURN TO 340 DEGS.' BEGAN CLB AND SAW TFC (A DASH 8) AT 1 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOVE. WE WERE CLBING AT 3500 FPM AND GOT A TCASII TA. HAD WE BEEN IN A R TURN TO 340 DEGS WE WOULD HAVE PASSED VERY CLOSE TO TFC LEVEL AT 9000 FT. WE CALLED THE DASH 8 TFC IN SIGHT AND DEP/CTR(?) THANKED US FOR THE CALL AND SAID TO MAINTAIN VISUAL. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 10000 FT MSL THE COPLT SAID WE NEEDED TO TURN TO 340 DEGS. CLR OF TFC WE BEGAN THE TURN JUST AS THE CTLR ASKED US FOR OUR HEADING. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE ABOVE THE TFC AND TURNING TO 340 DEGS. HE THANKED US FOR OUR HELP AND PASSED US ON TO THE NEXT FREQ. IT TURNED OUT TO BE LUCKY I DIDN'T HEAR THE ASSIGNED CLRNC TO TURN TO 340 DEG HDG.

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.