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Cpr BE40 flight crew required to initiate evasive TCASII maneuver when an ARTCC controller inadvertently assigns a lower altitude to the BE40 in conflict with crossing air carrier B727 traffic. Later communication with ARTCC supervisor idents controller error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 412242 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lal |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 32500 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Beechjet 400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| 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 | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 850 |
| ASRS Report | 412242 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 253 flight time total : 3485 flight time type : 470 |
| ASRS Report | 412375 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
We were descending to FL350 while flying the llake 2 arrival into pbi via the lakeland transition. ATC then assigned us to 'descend and maintain FL230, traffic 12 O'clock, FL310, a B727.' the captain (PNF) read back 'FL230, looking for traffic.' as we descended through FL325, the B727 became visible on the 20 NM ring of our TCASII at FL310 ft and 12 O'clock. I (first officer and PF) was flying the aircraft and leveled off at FL320 while the captain asked center to verify our altitude. He then told the center that 'we have a TCASII advisory on that traffic at FL310.' ATC replied '[call sign] (us) climb and maintain FL330.' I pitched the aircraft up as the TCASII RA went off advising 'monitor vertical speed.' at this time the pilot of the B727 reported 'descending out of FL310 on a TCASII RA.' the controller replied 'roger.' I then watched the B727 pass under our right wing 1000 ft below us. The B727 pilot next asked center 'what caused that to happen.' ATC advised that 'the beechjet descended below his assigned altitude of FL330.' when the captain (us) queried the center on our assigned altitude, we received no reply. After we cleared the conflict, center assigned us FL240 and handed us off to the low sector and said 'have a great day.' our aircraft was assigned FL230 initially and we read back FL230. The controller must have thought that he had given us FL330. Without TCASII, we wouldn't have known how close the air carrier was until we had him visually -- if we even saw him visually. This incident really shows the need for TCASII in all aircraft. After we landed in pbi, the captain called ZMA air traffic supervisor and found out that the center had a loss of separation event. The supervisor told me that the controller had assigned us the wrong altitude of FL230, and they were doing an investigation of the incident. The ATC supervisor apologized for the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CPR BE40 FLC REQUIRED TO INITIATE EVASIVE TCASII MANEUVER WHEN AN ARTCC CTLR INADVERTENTLY ASSIGNS A LOWER ALT TO THE BE40 IN CONFLICT WITH XING ACR B727 TFC. LATER COM WITH ARTCC SUPVR IDENTS CTLR ERROR.
Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING TO FL350 WHILE FLYING THE LLAKE 2 ARR INTO PBI VIA THE LAKELAND TRANSITION. ATC THEN ASSIGNED US TO 'DSND AND MAINTAIN FL230, TFC 12 O'CLOCK, FL310, A B727.' THE CAPT (PNF) READ BACK 'FL230, LOOKING FOR TFC.' AS WE DSNDED THROUGH FL325, THE B727 BECAME VISIBLE ON THE 20 NM RING OF OUR TCASII AT FL310 FT AND 12 O'CLOCK. I (FO AND PF) WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND LEVELED OFF AT FL320 WHILE THE CAPT ASKED CTR TO VERIFY OUR ALT. HE THEN TOLD THE CTR THAT 'WE HAVE A TCASII ADVISORY ON THAT TFC AT FL310.' ATC REPLIED '[CALL SIGN] (US) CLB AND MAINTAIN FL330.' I PITCHED THE ACFT UP AS THE TCASII RA WENT OFF ADVISING 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' AT THIS TIME THE PLT OF THE B727 RPTED 'DSNDING OUT OF FL310 ON A TCASII RA.' THE CTLR REPLIED 'ROGER.' I THEN WATCHED THE B727 PASS UNDER OUR R WING 1000 FT BELOW US. THE B727 PLT NEXT ASKED CTR 'WHAT CAUSED THAT TO HAPPEN.' ATC ADVISED THAT 'THE BEECHJET DSNDED BELOW HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF FL330.' WHEN THE CAPT (US) QUERIED THE CTR ON OUR ASSIGNED ALT, WE RECEIVED NO REPLY. AFTER WE CLRED THE CONFLICT, CTR ASSIGNED US FL240 AND HANDED US OFF TO THE LOW SECTOR AND SAID 'HAVE A GREAT DAY.' OUR ACFT WAS ASSIGNED FL230 INITIALLY AND WE READ BACK FL230. THE CTLR MUST HAVE THOUGHT THAT HE HAD GIVEN US FL330. WITHOUT TCASII, WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN HOW CLOSE THE ACR WAS UNTIL WE HAD HIM VISUALLY -- IF WE EVEN SAW HIM VISUALLY. THIS INCIDENT REALLY SHOWS THE NEED FOR TCASII IN ALL ACFT. AFTER WE LANDED IN PBI, THE CAPT CALLED ZMA AIR TFC SUPVR AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CTR HAD A LOSS OF SEPARATION EVENT. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT THE CTLR HAD ASSIGNED US THE WRONG ALT OF FL230, AND THEY WERE DOING AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT. THE ATC SUPVR APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT.
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.