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Flight crew of an airbus 320 climbed above assigned arrival altitude in response to a TCASII RA caused by a lear jet climbing through their altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 452683 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : ccr.ccr1 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Gates Learjet Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 1100 |
| ASRS Report | 452683 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
ZOA ATC had vectored us north of swr VOR on the flunk 3 arrival into smf. ATC then cleared us direct to flunk, descend and maintain 16000 ft. Descending through 17000 ft, ATC advised us of eastbound learjet traffic at approximately 1 O'clock position, 10 NM at 15000 ft. We were unable to obtain a visual on the traffic, however, the lear said he had us in sight. ZOA gave the lear climb clearance to FL210 and to maintain visual separation from us. The lear initiated a climb but did not initiate much of a turn away from us and passed within 100 ft vertical and easily less than 1 mi horizontal from us as we leveled at 16000 ft. This set off our TCASII RA to 'climb now.' since we did not have the lear in sight, we were forced to comply with the RA. Upon reaching approximately 16700 ft, we received a TCASII 'clear of conflict' and descended back down to 16000 ft. Although the lear had us in sight, I find it totally irresponsible on his part as well as ZOA's to have allowed this potentially hazardous situation to happen. A slight vector for the lear or a 30 second delay in his climb clearance could have precluded this.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN AIRBUS 320 CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ARR ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA CAUSED BY A LEAR JET CLBING THROUGH THEIR ALT.
Narrative: ZOA ATC HAD VECTORED US N OF SWR VOR ON THE FLUNK 3 ARR INTO SMF. ATC THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO FLUNK, DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH 17000 FT, ATC ADVISED US OF EBOUND LEARJET TFC AT APPROX 1 O'CLOCK POS, 10 NM AT 15000 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN A VISUAL ON THE TFC, HOWEVER, THE LEAR SAID HE HAD US IN SIGHT. ZOA GAVE THE LEAR CLB CLRNC TO FL210 AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM US. THE LEAR INITIATED A CLB BUT DID NOT INITIATE MUCH OF A TURN AWAY FROM US AND PASSED WITHIN 100 FT VERT AND EASILY LESS THAN 1 MI HORIZ FROM US AS WE LEVELED AT 16000 FT. THIS SET OFF OUR TCASII RA TO 'CLB NOW.' SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THE LEAR IN SIGHT, WE WERE FORCED TO COMPLY WITH THE RA. UPON REACHING APPROX 16700 FT, WE RECEIVED A TCASII 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 16000 FT. ALTHOUGH THE LEAR HAD US IN SIGHT, I FIND IT TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE ON HIS PART AS WELL AS ZOA'S TO HAVE ALLOWED THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT TO HAPPEN. A SLIGHT VECTOR FOR THE LEAR OR A 30 SECOND DELAY IN HIS CLB CLRNC COULD HAVE PRECLUDED THIS.
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.