 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A320 flight crew involved in an near midair collision after accepting an en route visual separation climb with opposite direction traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 468778 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : vwv.vor |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 468778 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance FAA ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zob.artcc |
Narrative:
Departing dtw for atl between cavvs intersection and vwv at 17000 ft. Conversation went like this: ATC: air carrier X, traffic 11 O'clock position, 10 mi, FL180 higher when clear. Air carrier X: 'roger, traffic in sight.' ATC: 'air carrier Y, traffic 11 O'clock, position, 10 mi, 17000 ft.' air carrier Y: 'roger, traffic in sight.' ATC: air carrier Y, maintain visual separation, he's going to climb through your altitude.' I don't know if air carrier Y responded, or not. ATC stated: 'air carrier X, air carrier Y's going to maintain visual separation, climb, and maintain FL230.' air carrier X: 'roger, FL230.' and we (air carrier X) started climbing. TCASII traffic, RA alarmed, which I expected since lateral separation was likely less than TCASII tolerance, whatever that is. TCASII RA commanded descend. Now air carrier Y was close enough to see that he was in a left turn towards us. I disengaged autoplt and leveled as air carrier Y passed very close above, very, very close. He did not pass directly over the cockpit, but I'm confident at least part of his aircraft was directly over part of mine. I am certain vertical separation was under 500 ft. Visual separation en route at night is an acceptable practice to the FAA, but it shouldn't be. Very few pilots have any night formation training and deviating from your IFR route clearance to maintain separation is contrary to all our habit patterns. I never should have begun that climb. The alpha position is against this procedure and I should have followed their advice.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLC INVOLVED IN AN NMAC AFTER ACCEPTING AN ENRTE VISUAL SEPARATION CLB WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.
Narrative: DEPARTING DTW FOR ATL BTWN CAVVS INTXN AND VWV AT 17000 FT. CONVERSATION WENT LIKE THIS: ATC: ACR X, TFC 11 O'CLOCK POS, 10 MI, FL180 HIGHER WHEN CLR. ACR X: 'ROGER, TFC IN SIGHT.' ATC: 'ACR Y, TFC 11 O'CLOCK, POS, 10 MI, 17000 FT.' ACR Y: 'ROGER, TFC IN SIGHT.' ATC: ACR Y, MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, HE'S GOING TO CLB THROUGH YOUR ALT.' I DON'T KNOW IF ACR Y RESPONDED, OR NOT. ATC STATED: 'ACR X, ACR Y'S GOING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, CLB, AND MAINTAIN FL230.' ACR X: 'ROGER, FL230.' AND WE (ACR X) STARTED CLBING. TCASII TFC, RA ALARMED, WHICH I EXPECTED SINCE LATERAL SEPARATION WAS LIKELY LESS THAN TCASII TOLERANCE, WHATEVER THAT IS. TCASII RA COMMANDED DSND. NOW ACR Y WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THAT HE WAS IN A L TURN TOWARDS US. I DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND LEVELED AS ACR Y PASSED VERY CLOSE ABOVE, VERY, VERY CLOSE. HE DID NOT PASS DIRECTLY OVER THE COCKPIT, BUT I'M CONFIDENT AT LEAST PART OF HIS ACFT WAS DIRECTLY OVER PART OF MINE. I AM CERTAIN VERT SEPARATION WAS UNDER 500 FT. VISUAL SEPARATION ENRTE AT NIGHT IS AN ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE TO THE FAA, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE. VERY FEW PLTS HAVE ANY NIGHT FORMATION TRAINING AND DEVIATING FROM YOUR IFR RTE CLRNC TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION IS CONTRARY TO ALL OUR HABIT PATTERNS. I NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEGUN THAT CLB. THE ALPHA POS IS AGAINST THIS PROC AND I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THEIR ADVICE.
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.