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Large transport flight crew make turn to provide passenger with better view of the grand canyon without requesting permission from ARTCC causing conflict with opposite direction traffic at the same altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 501400 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zab.artcc |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl single value : 41000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc tower : lga.tower |
| 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 : zab.artcc |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 501400 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to original clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Our eastbound flight was at FL410 just south of the grand canyon. We made a slight left turn to give our passenger a better view of the canyon. ATC asked us if we were going directly to tbc VOR. We indicated we had made a slight left turn for viewing of the canyon and we were now turning back to tbc. ATC informed us of another aircraft also at FL410 wbound and asked us to turn further to the southeast to get better spacing. We turned to 100 degree heading. The other aircraft then announced they had a TCASII alert. We also had a brief indication on our TCASII but no alert or warning. ATC informed us that it would not be a problem and that we had at least a 5 mi separation. We had the other aircraft in sight at all times after ATC told us of the wrong way altitude aircraft at our 11 O'clock position. No other comments were made. Problem would have been avoided if we had asked ATC for the viewing turn. They would have told us of the opposite direction traffic at our altitude and told us to delay turn until past conflicting traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LGT FLC MAKE TURN TO PROVIDE PAX WITH BETTER VIEW OF THE GRAND CANYON WITHOUT REQUESTING PERMISSION FROM ARTCC CAUSING CONFLICT WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT THE SAME ALT.
Narrative: OUR EBOUND FLT WAS AT FL410 JUST S OF THE GRAND CANYON. WE MADE A SLIGHT L TURN TO GIVE OUR PAX A BETTER VIEW OF THE CANYON. ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING DIRECTLY TO TBC VOR. WE INDICATED WE HAD MADE A SLIGHT L TURN FOR VIEWING OF THE CANYON AND WE WERE NOW TURNING BACK TO TBC. ATC INFORMED US OF ANOTHER ACFT ALSO AT FL410 WBOUND AND ASKED US TO TURN FURTHER TO THE SE TO GET BETTER SPACING. WE TURNED TO 100 DEG HDG. THE OTHER ACFT THEN ANNOUNCED THEY HAD A TCASII ALERT. WE ALSO HAD A BRIEF INDICATION ON OUR TCASII BUT NO ALERT OR WARNING. ATC INFORMED US THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A PROB AND THAT WE HAD AT LEAST A 5 MI SEPARATION. WE HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES AFTER ATC TOLD US OF THE WRONG WAY ALT ACFT AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. NO OTHER COMMENTS WERE MADE. PROB WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD ASKED ATC FOR THE VIEWING TURN. THEY WOULD HAVE TOLD US OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT OUR ALT AND TOLD US TO DELAY TURN UNTIL PAST CONFLICTING TFC.
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.