37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 581798 |
Time | |
Date | 200305 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : lfpg.airport |
State Reference | FO |
Altitude | msl single value : 34000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : lfff.artcc |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | MD-11 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Navigation In Use | other |
Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Aircraft 2 | |
Operator | other |
Make Model Name | Military |
Flight Phase | cruise : level |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 900 |
ASRS Report | 581798 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At cruise altitude (34000 ft MSL), flight crew experienced a dual FMC failure. This occurred while selecting arrival and approach points in the mcdu. Crew maintained a listening watch on center frequency and 121.5 at all times with headsets and speakers on. After completing the checklist and ready to start down, the crew queried the ATC center for a radio check, as we had not been called in approximately 15 mins. We were told to check frequency. We again asked what frequency we should be on if not this one. They advised paris control. We again asked the specific frequency. They finally gave us one. We contacted that frequency and were told to contact another frequency. Upon contact with paris control, we were queried as to why we didn't contact them. We told them we were never switched over. They told us we were now being intercepted. We verified this on our TCASII. The military plane shadowed us until on approach into lfpg. We landed uneventfully. We never, to our knowledge, had an altitude incursion or clearance problem. Safety of flight during the whole episode was of paramount importance. Safety was never compromised.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD11 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A DUAL FMC FAILURE AND TEMPORARILY LOST COM WITH CTLRS. THE FLT ENDED UP BEING INTERCEPTED BY MIL JET AS A PRECAUTION.
Narrative: AT CRUISE ALT (34000 FT MSL), FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A DUAL FMC FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE SELECTING ARR AND APCH POINTS IN THE MCDU. CREW MAINTAINED A LISTENING WATCH ON CTR FREQ AND 121.5 AT ALL TIMES WITH HEADSETS AND SPEAKERS ON. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST AND READY TO START DOWN, THE CREW QUERIED THE ATC CTR FOR A RADIO CHK, AS WE HAD NOT BEEN CALLED IN APPROX 15 MINS. WE WERE TOLD TO CHK FREQ. WE AGAIN ASKED WHAT FREQ WE SHOULD BE ON IF NOT THIS ONE. THEY ADVISED PARIS CTL. WE AGAIN ASKED THE SPECIFIC FREQ. THEY FINALLY GAVE US ONE. WE CONTACTED THAT FREQ AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT ANOTHER FREQ. UPON CONTACT WITH PARIS CTL, WE WERE QUERIED AS TO WHY WE DIDN'T CONTACT THEM. WE TOLD THEM WE WERE NEVER SWITCHED OVER. THEY TOLD US WE WERE NOW BEING INTERCEPTED. WE VERIFIED THIS ON OUR TCASII. THE MIL PLANE SHADOWED US UNTIL ON APCH INTO LFPG. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE NEVER, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, HAD AN ALT INCURSION OR CLRNC PROB. SAFETY OF FLT DURING THE WHOLE EPISODE WAS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED.
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.