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An ARTCC radar controller, attempting to resolve a traffic situation, descends an L1011 and A319 into conflict.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 415402 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hbu |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34600 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | L-1011 Tri-Star All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 218 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 714 |
| ASRS Report | 415402 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15900 vertical : 1600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Cruising FL370, center issued a vector for traffic to turn 20 degrees right. First officer did as instructed, then given another vector 50 degrees right for traffic. First officer again did as instructed. After about 1 min, center said descend immediately to FL350. Once again the first officer did as instructed by ATC. As we were leveling off, the controller's pitch of his voice started getting higher, asking us if we saw traffic at 1 O'clock (aircraft Y). Traffic was seen on aircraft X's TCASII and later visually. When seen, he was +800 ft and descending. We notified ATC we had the traffic in sight. We received a TCASII RA and first officer responded by descending to FL346 and advised ATC of the RA and reason for the descent. Traffic passed off our right side at 3-4 mi level 400 ft above us. ATC then told us to turn left 70 degrees and climb back to FL370. We complied with his instructions. The crew discussed this as our flight continued to atl. We could think of no possible good reason why the controller took us from our route and altitude and vectored and descended us directly toward traffic then turned us back on course away from traffic and back to our original altitude after the conflict.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ARTCC RADAR CTLR, ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE A TFC SIT, DSNDS AN L1011 AND A319 INTO CONFLICT.
Narrative: CRUISING FL370, CTR ISSUED A VECTOR FOR TFC TO TURN 20 DEGS R. FO DID AS INSTRUCTED, THEN GIVEN ANOTHER VECTOR 50 DEGS R FOR TFC. FO AGAIN DID AS INSTRUCTED. AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN, CTR SAID DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL350. ONCE AGAIN THE FO DID AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC. AS WE WERE LEVELING OFF, THE CTLR'S PITCH OF HIS VOICE STARTED GETTING HIGHER, ASKING US IF WE SAW TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK (ACFT Y). TFC WAS SEEN ON ACFT X'S TCASII AND LATER VISUALLY. WHEN SEEN, HE WAS +800 FT AND DSNDING. WE NOTIFIED ATC WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND FO RESPONDED BY DSNDING TO FL346 AND ADVISED ATC OF THE RA AND REASON FOR THE DSCNT. TFC PASSED OFF OUR R SIDE AT 3-4 MI LEVEL 400 FT ABOVE US. ATC THEN TOLD US TO TURN L 70 DEGS AND CLB BACK TO FL370. WE COMPLIED WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS. THE CREW DISCUSSED THIS AS OUR FLT CONTINUED TO ATL. WE COULD THINK OF NO POSSIBLE GOOD REASON WHY THE CTLR TOOK US FROM OUR RTE AND ALT AND VECTORED AND DSNDED US DIRECTLY TOWARD TFC THEN TURNED US BACK ON COURSE AWAY FROM TFC AND BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL ALT AFTER THE CONFLICT.
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.