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Flight crew of an EMB120 made a climbing right turn to avoid a B777 heading for them at same altitude. The B777 made a descending right turn.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474482 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200006 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 119 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : olympia two |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 474482 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 5000 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Busy morning in seattle area. We were on the olympia 2 arrival, seattle was landing to the north (runway 34). On a vector of about 040 degrees at 7000 ft. We were expecting the usual visual approach. Seattle approach was busy trying to point out aircraft ahead of us. A B747 and I believe a B737 was trying to find each other visually but neither could see each other. The controller was too busy with these 2 aircraft, trying to help them see each other so he could give them a visual approach. Our TCASII alerted us to an aircraft at our 12 O'clock position, same altitude. I looked up and saw a B777 ahead. We initiated a climbing right turn and the B777 did a descending right turn. As our 2 aircraft cleared each other a new voice came over the frequency asking us to maintain our current altitude (7800 ft) and he gave us a vector and an apology. The previous controller concentrated too much on the 2 aircraft ahead and forgot about us. I think he had a bad case of tunnel vision.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN EMB120 MADE A CLBING R TURN TO AVOID A B777 HEADING FOR THEM AT SAME ALT. THE B777 MADE A DSNDING R TURN.
Narrative: BUSY MORNING IN SEATTLE AREA. WE WERE ON THE OLYMPIA 2 ARR, SEATTLE WAS LNDG TO THE N (RWY 34). ON A VECTOR OF ABOUT 040 DEGS AT 7000 FT. WE WERE EXPECTING THE USUAL VISUAL APCH. SEATTLE APCH WAS BUSY TRYING TO POINT OUT ACFT AHEAD OF US. A B747 AND I BELIEVE A B737 WAS TRYING TO FIND EACH OTHER VISUALLY BUT NEITHER COULD SEE EACH OTHER. THE CTLR WAS TOO BUSY WITH THESE 2 ACFT, TRYING TO HELP THEM SEE EACH OTHER SO HE COULD GIVE THEM A VISUAL APCH. OUR TCASII ALERTED US TO AN ACFT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, SAME ALT. I LOOKED UP AND SAW A B777 AHEAD. WE INITIATED A CLBING R TURN AND THE B777 DID A DSNDING R TURN. AS OUR 2 ACFT CLRED EACH OTHER A NEW VOICE CAME OVER THE FREQ ASKING US TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT ALT (7800 FT) AND HE GAVE US A VECTOR AND AN APOLOGY. THE PREVIOUS CTLR CONCENTRATED TOO MUCH ON THE 2 ACFT AHEAD AND FORGOT ABOUT US. I THINK HE HAD A BAD CASE OF TUNNEL VISION.
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.