 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
MD88 flight crew has a TCAS RA while descending for arrival. Flight crew corrects and notifies controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 692446 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : rmg.vortac |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc tower : ord.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 867 |
| ASRS Report | 692446 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
We had been vectored for arrival spacing at FL290; and were then told to descend to FL240 when we were approximately 40 mi northwest of the rmg VOR. The clearance made sense because we were very close to top of descent. I spun 240 into the altitude window of the dfgc panel; typed 240 into the FMS; and initiated the VNAV descent. Around FL280; we received a 'traffic' call from the TCAS. At approximately FL275; the TCAS gave a 'climb' callout. I disconnected the autoplt and followed the TCAS climb guidance until the clear call observing the other aircraft pass below and to the right of our flight path. I leveled again at FL290. Shortly thereafter; following the captain's call to ATC that we were executing the RA maneuver; ATC asked us if we had departed FL290. We said that we had done so as cleared; but had reacted to the RA in the descent and climbed as directed by the TCAS. We were then cleared to a lower altitude and proceeded on to landing in atl.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 FLT CREW HAS A TCAS RA WHILE DSNDING FOR ARR. FLT CREW CORRECTS AND NOTIFIES CTLR.
Narrative: WE HAD BEEN VECTORED FOR ARR SPACING AT FL290; AND WERE THEN TOLD TO DSND TO FL240 WHEN WE WERE APPROX 40 MI NW OF THE RMG VOR. THE CLRNC MADE SENSE BECAUSE WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO TOP OF DSCNT. I SPUN 240 INTO THE ALT WINDOW OF THE DFGC PANEL; TYPED 240 INTO THE FMS; AND INITIATED THE VNAV DSCNT. AROUND FL280; WE RECEIVED A 'TFC' CALL FROM THE TCAS. AT APPROX FL275; THE TCAS GAVE A 'CLB' CALLOUT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FOLLOWED THE TCAS CLB GUIDANCE UNTIL THE CLR CALL OBSERVING THE OTHER ACFT PASS BELOW AND TO THE R OF OUR FLT PATH. I LEVELED AGAIN AT FL290. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; FOLLOWING THE CAPT'S CALL TO ATC THAT WE WERE EXECUTING THE RA MANEUVER; ATC ASKED US IF WE HAD DEPARTED FL290. WE SAID THAT WE HAD DONE SO AS CLRED; BUT HAD REACTED TO THE RA IN THE DSCNT AND CLBED AS DIRECTED BY THE TCAS. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO A LOWER ALT AND PROCEEDED ON TO LNDG IN ATL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.