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Emb-120 fails to maintain visual separation from an airbus on a visual approach to sjc after descending through clouds, resulting in non compliance with nct approach clearance to establish separation and sequencing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 600371 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200311 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 30l |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 600371 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2400 vertical : 50 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather FAA |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approaching sjc, we were cleared for an ILS for runway 30L and told to expect to sidestep for runway 30R. Approach called out an airbus on a high left downwind and told us to maintain visual separation. It appeared we could, so we agreed to maintain visual. The airbus was turned onto the approach in front of us. There was a small cloud between us and the airport, and the airbus flew into it on their approach. Shortly, we entered the cloud and it was communicated with ATC that we no longer had the airbus in sight. When we broke out of the cloud, we saw we were very close to the airbus. Simultaneously, approach gave us a climb to 5000 ft. We began to climb and so did the airbus. Immediately, we started a right turn to maintain separation, and continued to climb to 5000 ft. Although ATC ordered us to make an immediate left turn, we were already well established in the right turn. I felt the safest thing was to keep the right turn. We were vectored around for another approach and landed without any further incident. Nothing was discussed with ATC after the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMB-120 FAILS TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM AN AIRBUS ON A VISUAL APCH TO SJC AFTER DSNDING THROUGH CLOUDS, RESULTING IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH NCT APCH CLRNC TO ESTABLISH SEPARATION AND SEQUENCING.
Narrative: APCHING SJC, WE WERE CLRED FOR AN ILS FOR RWY 30L AND TOLD TO EXPECT TO SIDESTEP FOR RWY 30R. APCH CALLED OUT AN AIRBUS ON A HIGH L DOWNWIND AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. IT APPEARED WE COULD, SO WE AGREED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL. THE AIRBUS WAS TURNED ONTO THE APCH IN FRONT OF US. THERE WAS A SMALL CLOUD BTWN US AND THE ARPT, AND THE AIRBUS FLEW INTO IT ON THEIR APCH. SHORTLY, WE ENTERED THE CLOUD AND IT WAS COMMUNICATED WITH ATC THAT WE NO LONGER HAD THE AIRBUS IN SIGHT. WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUD, WE SAW WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE AIRBUS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, APCH GAVE US A CLB TO 5000 FT. WE BEGAN TO CLB AND SO DID THE AIRBUS. IMMEDIATELY, WE STARTED A R TURN TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION, AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO 5000 FT. ALTHOUGH ATC ORDERED US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN, WE WERE ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED IN THE R TURN. I FELT THE SAFEST THING WAS TO KEEP THE R TURN. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. NOTHING WAS DISCUSSED WITH ATC AFTER THE INCIDENT.
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.