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Captain of an airbus A300 took evasive action to avoid a single engine cessna during climb out by pulling the aircraft nose up to a high rate of climb to avoid the rapidly closing cessna.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 458295 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199912 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : elp.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 8200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : elp.tracon tower : elp.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : elp.tracon tower : elp.tower |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 458295 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Departing runway 8R at elp, tower cleared us to maintain runway heading and 7000 ft. We were told there was a cessna maneuvering at 7500 ft near the departure path. We took off and could see the cessna, but could not determine his direction of flight, but both of us determined he was well clear of us. We switched to departure control who was in the process of telling the cessna where we were and that we had him in sight. He then told us to maintain visual separation and climb to 17000 ft. At approximately 7000 ft, we realized the cessna was closing on us rapidly. I disconnected the autoplt and pulled the nose up and climbed rapidly. The cessna, undeterred, flew under us. We were about 8200 ft when he went underneath -- hopefully at 7500 ft. In retrospect, we should not have accepted such a clearance -- especially at night. Never again!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF AN AIRBUS A300 TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A SINGLE ENG CESSNA DURING CLBOUT BY PULLING THE ACFT NOSE UP TO A HIGH RATE OF CLB TO AVOID THE RAPIDLY CLOSING CESSNA.
Narrative: DEPARTING RWY 8R AT ELP, TWR CLRED US TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG AND 7000 FT. WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS A CESSNA MANEUVERING AT 7500 FT NEAR THE DEP PATH. WE TOOK OFF AND COULD SEE THE CESSNA, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE HIS DIRECTION OF FLT, BUT BOTH OF US DETERMINED HE WAS WELL CLR OF US. WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL WHO WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TELLING THE CESSNA WHERE WE WERE AND THAT WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT. HE THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND CLB TO 17000 FT. AT APPROX 7000 FT, WE REALIZED THE CESSNA WAS CLOSING ON US RAPIDLY. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED THE NOSE UP AND CLBED RAPIDLY. THE CESSNA, UNDETERRED, FLEW UNDER US. WE WERE ABOUT 8200 FT WHEN HE WENT UNDERNEATH -- HOPEFULLY AT 7500 FT. IN RETROSPECT, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED SUCH A CLRNC -- ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. NEVER AGAIN!
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.