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An near midair collision is averted by TCASII and turned into a potential conflict. A climbing departure MD80 dives to avoid a C172 at their assigned altitude of 4000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 426621 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : psp |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3100 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bed.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 426621 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| 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 flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Psp departure, 5 mi ese of psp. After departing runway 13R at psp my first officer was flying a 100 degree heading and climbing to 4000 ft in accordance with our clearance. The tower controller instructed us to contact departure control on 126.7. There were numerous aircraft in the area and both controllers were very busy. After tuning in the departure frequency I had to wait for some time before calling because the controller was busy giving instructions to other aircraft including what sounded like a full route clearance to an aircraft on the ground. During this time I noticed a target on our TCASII in about our 1:30 O'clock position and about 4 mi which appeared to be level at 4000 ft. I asked the first officer to slow his rate of climb and we both started looking for the traffic. We acquired him visually almost immediately. He appeared to be a cessna 172, level at 4000 ft, and on about 080 degree or 090 degree heading. About this time we were climbing through about 3500 ft and we received a TA from the TCASII followed immediately by a descend RA. My copilot descended to about 3100 ft before we received the clear of conflict report from the TCASII. The cessna passed above and slightly behind us. It appeared to me that at about the same time we started our descent the cessna also pitched over. Possibly he thought we were still climbing and was attempting to pass below us. It is hard to say whether our TCASII prevented a collision but it certainly kept a close encounter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN NMAC IS AVERTED BY TCASII AND TURNED INTO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. A CLBING DEP MD80 DIVES TO AVOID A C172 AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT.
Narrative: PSP DEP, 5 MI ESE OF PSP. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 13R AT PSP MY FO WAS FLYING A 100 DEG HDG AND CLBING TO 4000 FT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP CTL ON 126.7. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE AREA AND BOTH CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY. AFTER TUNING IN THE DEP FREQ I HAD TO WAIT FOR SOME TIME BEFORE CALLING BECAUSE THE CTLR WAS BUSY GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT INCLUDING WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A FULL RTE CLRNC TO AN ACFT ON THE GND. DURING THIS TIME I NOTICED A TARGET ON OUR TCASII IN ABOUT OUR 1:30 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 4 MI WHICH APPEARED TO BE LEVEL AT 4000 FT. I ASKED THE FO TO SLOW HIS RATE OF CLB AND WE BOTH STARTED LOOKING FOR THE TFC. WE ACQUIRED HIM VISUALLY ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. HE APPEARED TO BE A CESSNA 172, LEVEL AT 4000 FT, AND ON ABOUT 080 DEG OR 090 DEG HDG. ABOUT THIS TIME WE WERE CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 3500 FT AND WE RECEIVED A TA FROM THE TCASII FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A DSND RA. MY COPLT DSNDED TO ABOUT 3100 FT BEFORE WE RECEIVED THE CLR OF CONFLICT RPT FROM THE TCASII. THE CESSNA PASSED ABOVE AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND US. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE STARTED OUR DSCNT THE CESSNA ALSO PITCHED OVER. POSSIBLY HE THOUGHT WE WERE STILL CLBING AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS BELOW US. IT IS HARD TO SAY WHETHER OUR TCASII PREVENTED A COLLISION BUT IT CERTAINLY KEPT A CLOSE ENCOUNTER.
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.