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Flight crew of DC9 is cleared to climb and then has TCASII TA, then RA to descend. They sight the other aircraft at same altitude and follow the TCASII. ATC says the B727 is at 8000 ft, but flight crew and TCASII indicate same altitude, 7000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 399949 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| 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 | B727 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 : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 399949 |
| 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 |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
When on a heading of 340 degrees, cleared to climb to and maintain 11000 ft, passing about 6000 ft, departure control asked us to 'give me a good rate' to 11000 ft. Passing about 6500 ft MSL, we saw and heard 'traffic' on our TCASII display at 1 O'clock, and about 4 NM indicating 500 ft above us. I radioed ATC that we had traffic at 1 O'clock, 3 mi, almost level on our TCASII. At about that time we got a TCASII RA to descend. I then saw the aircraft visually in a l-hand turn, passing a southeast heading level with us at 7000 ft MSL. As we followed our TCASII RA by descending and turning left also, I radioed ATC that we were descending and turning left in response to a TCASII RA. ATC then radioed us that that aircraft was a B727 level at 8000 ft MSL, and directed us to turn left to a heading of 160 degrees and continue our climb to 11000 ft. After starting the ATC directed left turn, when 'clear of conflict, I radioed ATC that I believed the other aircraft was at 7000 ft. ATC then further directed us to continue the left turn to 340 degrees and handed us off to ZDC. I truly believe in this case that the controller lost situational awareness of the other aircraft, for whatever the reason, and cleared us to climb to 11000 ft when he shouldn't have. Perhaps freeing up money held hostage in the aviation trust fund to equipment controllers with state-of-the-art equipment would rectify this and many other similar occurrences.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF DC9 IS CLRED TO CLB AND THEN HAS TCASII TA, THEN RA TO DSND. THEY SIGHT THE OTHER ACFT AT SAME ALT AND FOLLOW THE TCASII. ATC SAYS THE B727 IS AT 8000 FT, BUT FLC AND TCASII INDICATE SAME ALT, 7000 FT.
Narrative: WHEN ON A HDG OF 340 DEGS, CLRED TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT, PASSING ABOUT 6000 FT, DEP CTL ASKED US TO 'GIVE ME A GOOD RATE' TO 11000 FT. PASSING ABOUT 6500 FT MSL, WE SAW AND HEARD 'TFC' ON OUR TCASII DISPLAY AT 1 O'CLOCK, AND ABOUT 4 NM INDICATING 500 FT ABOVE US. I RADIOED ATC THAT WE HAD TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK, 3 MI, ALMOST LEVEL ON OUR TCASII. AT ABOUT THAT TIME WE GOT A TCASII RA TO DESCEND. I THEN SAW THE ACFT VISUALLY IN A L-HAND TURN, PASSING A SE HDG LEVEL WITH US AT 7000 FT MSL. AS WE FOLLOWED OUR TCASII RA BY DSNDING AND TURNING L ALSO, I RADIOED ATC THAT WE WERE DSNDING AND TURNING L IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA. ATC THEN RADIOED US THAT THAT ACFT WAS A B727 LEVEL AT 8000 FT MSL, AND DIRECTED US TO TURN L TO A HDG OF 160 DEGS AND CONTINUE OUR CLB TO 11000 FT. AFTER STARTING THE ATC DIRECTED L TURN, WHEN 'CLR OF CONFLICT, I RADIOED ATC THAT I BELIEVED THE OTHER ACFT WAS AT 7000 FT. ATC THEN FURTHER DIRECTED US TO CONTINUE THE L TURN TO 340 DEGS AND HANDED US OFF TO ZDC. I TRULY BELIEVE IN THIS CASE THAT THE CTLR LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE OTHER ACFT, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON, AND CLRED US TO CLB TO 11000 FT WHEN HE SHOULDN'T HAVE. PERHAPS FREEING UP MONEY HELD HOSTAGE IN THE AVIATION TRUST FUND TO EQUIP CTLRS WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIP WOULD RECTIFY THIS AND MANY OTHER SIMILAR OCCURRENCES.
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.