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B727 captain shallowed out his descent rate and then subsequent leveloff prior to reaching clearance descent altitude due to TCASII TA of a B737 climbing through the altitude to which he was cleared. Approach controller recognized the problem and stop each aircraft and then turned the B727 in order to continue descent.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 536440 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : wilder 4 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 266 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 814 |
| ASRS Report | 536440 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : separated traffic flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Arriving on the wilder 4 arrival into mem, we were cleared to descend from 10000 ft to 6000 ft. Upon beginning the descent, we received a TA and observed an aircraft climbing at our 1-1:30 O'clock position. It appeared to be a B737, air carrier Y. I shallowed out my descent and the TCASII showed the aircraft climbing through 6000 ft. We asked approach once again our descent clearance, which was still 6000 ft and asked about the climbing aircraft. He was on a different frequency and had been cleared to a higher altitude, but was not instructed to stop at 7000 ft and we were given 8000 ft. He still appeared to be climbing so we stopped at 9300 ft, until clear of the traffic and then we was given a heading of 180 degrees and return descent to 6000 ft. Approach control was handling multiple VFR traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 CAPT SHALLOWED OUT HIS DSCNT RATE AND THEN SUBSEQUENT LEVELOFF PRIOR TO REACHING CLRNC DSCNT ALT DUE TO TCASII TA OF A B737 CLBING THROUGH THE ALT TO WHICH HE WAS CLRED. APCH CTLR RECOGNIZED THE PROB AND STOP EACH ACFT AND THEN TURNED THE B727 IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DSCNT.
Narrative: ARRIVING ON THE WILDER 4 ARR INTO MEM, WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM 10000 FT TO 6000 FT. UPON BEGINNING THE DSCNT, WE RECEIVED A TA AND OBSERVED AN ACFT CLBING AT OUR 1-1:30 O'CLOCK POS. IT APPEARED TO BE A B737, ACR Y. I SHALLOWED OUT MY DSCNT AND THE TCASII SHOWED THE ACFT CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT. WE ASKED APCH ONCE AGAIN OUR DSCNT CLRNC, WHICH WAS STILL 6000 FT AND ASKED ABOUT THE CLBING ACFT. HE WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT, BUT WAS NOT INSTRUCTED TO STOP AT 7000 FT AND WE WERE GIVEN 8000 FT. HE STILL APPEARED TO BE CLBING SO WE STOPPED AT 9300 FT, UNTIL CLR OF THE TFC AND THEN WE WAS GIVEN A HEADING OF 180 DEGS AND RETURN DSCNT TO 6000 FT. APCH CTL WAS HANDLING MULTIPLE VFR 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.