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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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B767 captain climbed in response to TCASII RA from a parachute jump aircraft reported by approach control to be below his altitude. However, TCASII indicated that he was above their altitude and descending. The reporter believed that his aircraft should have been vectored away from the jump aircraft to eliminate any confliction.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 536001 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : tomsn |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d01.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : tomsn.tomsn3 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d01.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : charter |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : 105 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 536001 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
After passing tomsn intersection on the tomsn 3 arrival into den, approach control advised us to descend to FL180 and that we had traffic at our 12 O'clock position approximately 10 mi ahead, a parachute jump airplane at 17500 ft MSL. They advised that we would have a lower altitude once clear of traffic. The local altimeter was approximately 29.67 inches. I was the PNF and was unable to acquire the traffic visually but I did notice a TCASII return in the same vicinity at FL186 descending. The traffic was called out to us again by ATC at the same position approximately 5 mi ahead at 17500 ft. Again I observed a target on TCASII in the same position at FL181 at which time we received a TCASII TA. I advised ATC that the traffic was indicating FL180 on TCASII. We then received a TCASII RA climb command which was complied with while advising ATC of the same which was acknowledged. At FL185, I acquired the traffic visually and we received a clear of conflict message from TCASII. The traffic appeared to be at my 1 O'clock position approximately 1000 ft below our aircraft and the TCASII altitude on the traffic indicated 17400 ft. We then advised ATC that we were returning to our assigned altitude. I believe that we should have been directed away from this traffic by ATC. Continuous moderate turbulence with very strong winds and an unusually low altimeter setting complicated the situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B767 CAPT CLBED IN RESPONSE TO TCASII RA FROM A PARACHUTE JUMP ACFT RPTED BY APCH CTL TO BE BELOW HIS ALT. HOWEVER, TCASII INDICATED THAT HE WAS ABOVE THEIR ALT AND DSNDING. THE RPTR BELIEVED THAT HIS ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN VECTORED AWAY FROM THE JUMP ACFT TO ELIMINATE ANY CONFLICTION.
Narrative: AFTER PASSING TOMSN INTXN ON THE TOMSN 3 ARR INTO DEN, APCH CTL ADVISED US TO DSND TO FL180 AND THAT WE HAD TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 10 MI AHEAD, A PARACHUTE JUMP AIRPLANE AT 17500 FT MSL. THEY ADVISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE A LOWER ALT ONCE CLR OF TFC. THE LCL ALTIMETER WAS APPROX 29.67 INCHES. I WAS THE PNF AND WAS UNABLE TO ACQUIRE THE TFC VISUALLY BUT I DID NOTICE A TCASII RETURN IN THE SAME VICINITY AT FL186 DSNDING. THE TFC WAS CALLED OUT TO US AGAIN BY ATC AT THE SAME POS APPROX 5 MI AHEAD AT 17500 FT. AGAIN I OBSERVED A TARGET ON TCASII IN THE SAME POS AT FL181 AT WHICH TIME WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. I ADVISED ATC THAT THE TFC WAS INDICATING FL180 ON TCASII. WE THEN RECEIVED A TCASII RA CLB COMMAND WHICH WAS COMPLIED WITH WHILE ADVISING ATC OF THE SAME WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. AT FL185, I ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY AND WE RECEIVED A CLR OF CONFLICT MESSAGE FROM TCASII. THE TFC APPEARED TO BE AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 1000 FT BELOW OUR ACFT AND THE TCASII ALT ON THE TFC INDICATED 17400 FT. WE THEN ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AWAY FROM THIS TFC BY ATC. CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AND AN UNUSUALLY LOW ALTIMETER SETTING COMPLICATED THE SIT.
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.