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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A us based air carrier flight has an near midair collision with a foreign basedcarrier during a night operation. ARTCC radar controller reversed the direction of climbing traffic which conflicted with TCASII RA commands, 70 north of gdl,first officer.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 471858 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200004 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mmzt.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mmzt.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 471858 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 471873 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Company Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : mmzt.artcc |
Narrative:
Cruising sbound on UJ3 at FL330 we received a TCASII TA. The display showed a northbound aircraft climbing to our altitude. We received a 'descend now' RA and began an immediate descent. At the same time ATC was telling the other aircraft that he had not been cleared to climb to FL350 and that he was immediately to return to FL310. As we entered our descent it became obvious (both visually and from the TCASII display) that the other aircraft had also entered a rapid descent. I assumed the other aircraft was complying with ATC instructions to descend rather than TCASII instructions to climb. I put our aircraft into a climb and we passed about 400 ft above the second plane. The other pilot was contacted on air to air frequency and confirmed that he followed ATC instructions to descend instead of the TCAS 'climb RA.' the other aircraft was a 3 engine heavy jet operated by a european air carrier. I have had several TCASII RA's since the machine was installed and this was the only one that got scary. My company experienced another very similar incident less than a year ago. Obviously, this type of incident is occurring way too often. The international aviation community must find a way to ensure that every single pilot who operates a TCASII equipped aircraft understands that if ATC says 'descend' and a TCASII RA says 'climb' that you absolutely must follow the TCASII RA until it says 'clear of conflict.' then and only then can you return to following ATC instructions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A U.S. BASED ACR FLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A FOREIGN BASEDCARRIER DURING A NIGHT OP. ARTCC RADAR CTLR REVERSED THE DIRECTION OF CLBING TFC WHICH CONFLICTED WITH TCASII RA COMMANDS, 70 NORTH OF GDL,FO.
Narrative: CRUISING SBOUND ON UJ3 AT FL330 WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. THE DISPLAY SHOWED A NBOUND ACFT CLBING TO OUR ALT. WE RECEIVED A 'DESCEND NOW' RA AND BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT. AT THE SAME TIME ATC WAS TELLING THE OTHER ACFT THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN CLEARED TO CLB TO FL350 AND THAT HE WAS IMMEDIATELY TO RETURN TO FL310. AS WE ENTERED OUR DESCENT IT BECAME OBVIOUS (BOTH VISUALLY AND FROM THE TCASII DISPLAY) THAT THE OTHER ACFT HAD ALSO ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT. I ASSUMED THE OTHER ACFT WAS COMPLYING WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO DESCEND RATHER THAN TCASII INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB. I PUT OUR ACFT INTO A CLB AND WE PASSED ABOUT 400 FT ABOVE THE SECOND PLANE. THE OTHER PLT WAS CONTACTED ON AIR TO AIR FREQ AND CONFIRMED THAT HE FOLLOWED ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO DESCEND INSTEAD OF THE TCAS 'CLB RA.' THE OTHER ACFT WAS A 3 ENG HVY JET OPERATED BY A EUROPEAN ACR. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL TCASII RA'S SINCE THE MACHINE WAS INSTALLED AND THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT GOT SCARY. MY COMPANY EXPERIENCED ANOTHER VERY SIMILAR INCIDENT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. OBVIOUSLY, THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT IS OCCURRING WAY TOO OFTEN. THE INTERNATIONAL AVIATION COMMUNITY MUST FIND A WAY TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE PLT WHO OPERATES A TCASII EQUIPPED ACFT UNDERSTANDS THAT IF ATC SAYS 'DESCEND' AND A TCASII RA SAYS 'CLB' THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST FOLLOW THE TCASII RA UNTIL IT SAYS 'CLEAR OF CONFLICT.' THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN YOU RETURN TO FOLLOWING ATC INSTRUCTIONS.
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.