 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew of a B757 declared an emergency and returned to land due to an ill passenger. During the return, the crew descended prematurely from their transition altitude for a visual approach causing a potential conflict with another aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 461787 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : ttt.vor |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d10.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 17r other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d10.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 18r |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 461787 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 462102 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude cabin event : passenger illness conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
I was captain of the flight returning to dfw with a medical emergency. My first officer was flying the aircraft. We had a middle aged lady who had lost consciousness and was having difficulty breathing. From the TTT 285/120 ZFW gave us permission to fly direct to jiffy, the NDB for runway 17R. Regional approach cleared us down to 3400 ft as we were crossing the approach path for runway 18R. Approach asked us if we had the airport in sight. I replied that we did and looked down to finish the approach checklist when our altitude alert sounded. The first officer thought we had been cleared for the visual approach and descended to 3000 ft. Approach asked if we had the air carrier Y flight below us at 2300 ft at our 9 O'clock position. We replied that we did and would remain at 3000 ft. Since we were already high for the approach and had to land, we didn't want to climb back up to 3400 ft. Air carrier Y said they had us in sight and would maintain visual separation. There was no TCASII alert. I spoke with approach control on the phone afterwards and they said there wasn't a conflict, especially since we were obviously very busy dealing with an emergency return to dfw.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B757 DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND DUE TO AN ILL PAX. DURING THE RETURN, THE CREW DSNDED PREMATURELY FROM THEIR TRANSITION ALT FOR A VISUAL APCH CAUSING A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF THE FLT RETURNING TO DFW WITH A MEDICAL EMER. MY FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE HAD A MIDDLE AGED LADY WHO HAD LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING. FROM THE TTT 285/120 ZFW GAVE US PERMISSION TO FLY DIRECT TO JIFFY, THE NDB FOR RWY 17R. REGIONAL APCH CLRED US DOWN TO 3400 FT AS WE WERE XING THE APCH PATH FOR RWY 18R. APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I REPLIED THAT WE DID AND LOOKED DOWN TO FINISH THE APCH CHKLIST WHEN OUR ALT ALERT SOUNDED. THE FO THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND DSNDED TO 3000 FT. APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ACR Y FLT BELOW US AT 2300 FT AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS. WE REPLIED THAT WE DID AND WOULD REMAIN AT 3000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY HIGH FOR THE APCH AND HAD TO LAND, WE DIDN'T WANT TO CLB BACK UP TO 3400 FT. ACR Y SAID THEY HAD US IN SIGHT AND WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO TCASII ALERT. I SPOKE WITH APCH CTL ON THE PHONE AFTERWARDS AND THEY SAID THERE WASN'T A CONFLICT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY BUSY DEALING WITH AN EMER RETURN TO DFW.
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.