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A B720 crew, on vectors to phx, had an near midair collision when an ATC clearance 'to follow' was misinterped as 'cleared for the visual.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 538889 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : phx.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon tower : phx.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Stratoliner 720 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 538889 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were handed off to the final approach controller and were assigned 6000 ft and a heading of 260 degrees for vectors to a visual approach to runway 8. At this time, we were on the south side of the airport (runway 8 is on the north complex of phx) so this approach would require us to cross the final approach course of runway 7R&left. The controller gave us a descent to 5000 ft and a heading change to 330 degrees. As we leveled at 5000 ft on the 330 degree heading, the controller pointed out and air carrier Y DC9 that was coming in from the north. We then verified that we had the DC9 in sight. We were told to follow the DC9 to runway 8 for the visual approach. This is where the confusion began. The controller gave instructions to contact the tower on 118.7. The captain, who was handling the radios, read back that he was contacting the tower. At the time, I asked him if we had been cleared for the visual approach and he stated that we had and proceeded to call the tower. I started a descent to 4000 ft as published on the visual approach chart. I had just reached 4700 ft when the flight engineer pointed out another DC9 on heading that put him directly in our path. It appeared that he was below our altitude so I stopped my descent at 4700 ft. He crossed under us at 4300 ft descending. As it turned out, we were not cleared for the visual approach, just told to follow the air carrier Y DC9 to runway 8. The frequency change to the tower was for another aircraft. All of this could have been avoided if we had used better crew coordination. The captain did read back the frequency change, but I believe the controller missed his readback. We were able to avoid the other aircraft because the engineer was doing a good job of checking for traffic. If we had TCASII installed, probably this incident would have been avoided. But even without TCASII, this problem could have been avoided with better crew coordination. At this point we are reviewing our flight deck crew procedures.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B720 CREW, ON VECTORS TO PHX, HAD AN NMAC WHEN AN ATC CLRNC 'TO FOLLOW' WAS MISINTERPED AS 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL.'
Narrative: WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR AND WERE ASSIGNED 6000 FT AND A HDG OF 260 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT (RWY 8 IS ON THE N COMPLEX OF PHX) SO THIS APCH WOULD REQUIRE US TO CROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE OF RWY 7R&L. THE CTLR GAVE US A DSCNT TO 5000 FT AND A HDG CHANGE TO 330 DEGS. AS WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT ON THE 330 DEG HDG, THE CTLR POINTED OUT AND ACR Y DC9 THAT WAS COMING IN FROM THE N. WE THEN VERIFIED THAT WE HAD THE DC9 IN SIGHT. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE DC9 TO RWY 8 FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THIS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION BEGAN. THE CTLR GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT THE TWR ON 118.7. THE CAPT, WHO WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS, READ BACK THAT HE WAS CONTACTING THE TWR. AT THE TIME, I ASKED HIM IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND HE STATED THAT WE HAD AND PROCEEDED TO CALL THE TWR. I STARTED A DSCNT TO 4000 FT AS PUBLISHED ON THE VISUAL APCH CHART. I HAD JUST REACHED 4700 FT WHEN THE FE POINTED OUT ANOTHER DC9 ON HDG THAT PUT HIM DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH. IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS BELOW OUR ALT SO I STOPPED MY DSCNT AT 4700 FT. HE CROSSED UNDER US AT 4300 FT DSNDING. AS IT TURNED OUT, WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH, JUST TOLD TO FOLLOW THE ACR Y DC9 TO RWY 8. THE FREQ CHANGE TO THE TWR WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD USED BETTER CREW COORD. THE CAPT DID READ BACK THE FREQ CHANGE, BUT I BELIEVE THE CTLR MISSED HIS READBACK. WE WERE ABLE TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT BECAUSE THE ENGINEER WAS DOING A GOOD JOB OF CHKING FOR TFC. IF WE HAD TCASII INSTALLED, PROBABLY THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. BUT EVEN WITHOUT TCASII, THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH BETTER CREW COORD. AT THIS POINT WE ARE REVIEWING OUR FLT DECK CREW PROCS.
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.