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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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MD80 flight crew acknowledges climb clearance and heading assignment on departure. Flight crew receives a frequency change and altitude assignment is challenged. Flight crew reacts to TCASII RA for traffic at 7000 ft and descends. Flight crew continues on course. Flight crew concerned with traffic complexity saturation and frequency congestion flying in the northeast.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 405944 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : col airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | King Air C90 E90 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 405944 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 406093 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
We were on a flight from ewr to pbi. We were cleared for takeoff and were executing the arthur kill 2 departure. The first controller turned us to heading 260 degrees and up to 10000 ft. I replied, then received handoff to another controller. I checked on cleared to 10000 ft, then was given a heading to intercept the col 350 degrees inbound. Replied, and was given another frequency. I checked on 'cleared to 10000 ft and was given TA. I called 'negative contact.' the captain and I saw the plane on TCASII but not visually. The course was to be close, so the captain slowed climb rate. I inquired about route, 'verify air carrier #1 cleared 350 degrees col.' the answer was garbled in beginning but traffic again was pointed out. I replied 'negative contact, verify air carrier #1 cleared 350 degrees col.' controller replied 'affirmative, traffic 12 O'clock position, 7000 ft.' the RA on TCASII went off, we followed instructions, and told controller about RA. They replied, we were only cleared to 6000 ft. The captain and I said 'no, 10000 ft.' the area around new york is very congested and mistakes will happen, but continued vigilance on both sides needs to be observed. Supplemental information from acn 406093: assigned 220 degree heading, climb and maintain 10000 ft. Told to join col 350 degree radial, caution IFR traffic at 7000 ft. I voiced my concern after looking at TCASII and seeing a possible conflict started to slow the climb. TCASII responded with RA descend from 6500 ft to 6000 ft. While making a 20 degree turn to the right, departure was informed of RA. He advised 'I told you about traffic, maintain 6000 ft.' last clearance we had was to 10000 ft. On a personal note -- with traffic saturation increasing, especially in the northeast, flying complicated sids, along with transiting traffic going through the TCASII it is an invitation to disaster. When do we start limiting the number of aircraft in the area and upgrade the ATC system.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 FLC ACKNOWLEDGES CLB CLRNC AND HEADING ASSIGNMENT ON DEP. FLC RECEIVES A FREQ CHANGE AND ALT ASSIGNMENT IS CHALLENGED. FLC REACTS TO TCASII RA FOR TFC AT 7000 FT AND DSNDS. FLC CONTINUES ON COURSE. FLC CONCERNED WITH TFC COMPLEXITY SATURATION AND FREQ CONGESTION FLYING IN THE NE.
Narrative: WE WERE ON A FLT FROM EWR TO PBI. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND WERE EXECUTING THE ARTHUR KILL 2 DEP. THE FIRST CTLR TURNED US TO HDG 260 DEGS AND UP TO 10000 FT. I REPLIED, THEN RECEIVED HDOF TO ANOTHER CTLR. I CHKED ON CLRED TO 10000 FT, THEN WAS GIVEN A HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE COL 350 DEGS INBOUND. REPLIED, AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ. I CHKED ON 'CLRED TO 10000 FT AND WAS GIVEN TA. I CALLED 'NEGATIVE CONTACT.' THE CAPT AND I SAW THE PLANE ON TCASII BUT NOT VISUALLY. THE COURSE WAS TO BE CLOSE, SO THE CAPT SLOWED CLB RATE. I INQUIRED ABOUT RTE, 'VERIFY ACR #1 CLRED 350 DEGS COL.' THE ANSWER WAS GARBLED IN BEGINNING BUT TFC AGAIN WAS POINTED OUT. I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE CONTACT, VERIFY ACR #1 CLRED 350 DEGS COL.' CTLR REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE, TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS, 7000 FT.' THE RA ON TCASII WENT OFF, WE FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS, AND TOLD CTLR ABOUT RA. THEY REPLIED, WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 6000 FT. THE CAPT AND I SAID 'NO, 10000 FT.' THE AREA AROUND NEW YORK IS VERY CONGESTED AND MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN, BUT CONTINUED VIGILANCE ON BOTH SIDES NEEDS TO BE OBSERVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 406093: ASSIGNED 220 DEG HDG, CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. TOLD TO JOIN COL 350 DEG RADIAL, CAUTION IFR TFC AT 7000 FT. I VOICED MY CONCERN AFTER LOOKING AT TCASII AND SEEING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT STARTED TO SLOW THE CLB. TCASII RESPONDED WITH RA DSND FROM 6500 FT TO 6000 FT. WHILE MAKING A 20 DEG TURN TO THE R, DEP WAS INFORMED OF RA. HE ADVISED 'I TOLD YOU ABOUT TFC, MAINTAIN 6000 FT.' LAST CLRNC WE HAD WAS TO 10000 FT. ON A PERSONAL NOTE -- WITH TFC SATURATION INCREASING, ESPECIALLY IN THE NE, FLYING COMPLICATED SIDS, ALONG WITH TRANSITING TFC GOING THROUGH THE TCASII IT IS AN INVITATION TO DISASTER. WHEN DO WE START LIMITING THE NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE AREA AND UPGRADE THE ATC SYS.
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.