 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Medium large transport flight crew stopped climb and went back to the hard altitude at which they had just passed in response to ARTCC controller instructions and a subsequent TCASII RA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 520279 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200108 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : swl.vortac |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j174.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.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 : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 115 |
| ASRS Report | 520279 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 520540 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
We were on climb out from islip and were given clearance to climb to FL310. Shortly after, we were switched to a different ZDC controller. We tuned up his frequency as we were passing about FL260. We were unable to check in with him because he was so busy we couldn't get a call in. As we were passing FL280, he called us and said 'confirm you are at FL280.' we responded we were passing FL280 for FL310. A few seconds later as we were passing FL290 he gave us an immediate leveloff at FL290. At the same time we were getting a TCASII alert of traffic at FL300. We nosed over and stopped at FL293 and went back down to FL290. We had the traffic in sight as we stopped our climb. The controller told us he thought we had checked in and reported we would level at FL280 -- we had not. The problem in our opinion was that the center controller had way too much traffic to handle at one time. Had we had a chance to check in he would have been able to deconflict us way before the situation got critical.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MLG FLC STOPPED CLB AND WENT BACK TO THE HARD ALT AT WHICH THEY HAD JUST PASSED IN RESPONSE TO ARTCC CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AND A SUBSEQUENT TCASII RA.
Narrative: WE WERE ON CLBOUT FROM ISLIP AND WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CLB TO FL310. SHORTLY AFTER, WE WERE SWITCHED TO A DIFFERENT ZDC CTLR. WE TUNED UP HIS FREQ AS WE WERE PASSING ABOUT FL260. WE WERE UNABLE TO CHK IN WITH HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SO BUSY WE COULDN'T GET A CALL IN. AS WE WERE PASSING FL280, HE CALLED US AND SAID 'CONFIRM YOU ARE AT FL280.' WE RESPONDED WE WERE PASSING FL280 FOR FL310. A FEW SECONDS LATER AS WE WERE PASSING FL290 HE GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE LEVELOFF AT FL290. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE GETTING A TCASII ALERT OF TFC AT FL300. WE NOSED OVER AND STOPPED AT FL293 AND WENT BACK DOWN TO FL290. WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AS WE STOPPED OUR CLB. THE CTLR TOLD US HE THOUGHT WE HAD CHKED IN AND RPTED WE WOULD LEVEL AT FL280 -- WE HAD NOT. THE PROB IN OUR OPINION WAS THAT THE CTR CTLR HAD WAY TOO MUCH TFC TO HANDLE AT ONE TIME. HAD WE HAD A CHANCE TO CHK IN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DECONFLICT US WAY BEFORE THE SIT GOT CRITICAL.
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.