Less than standard separation between 2 air carrier aircraft just after handoff from one ARTCC to an...

Attributes
ACN	84041
Time
Date	198803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mgm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 32000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	84041
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	84054
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

While climbing to our assigned cruising altitude of 37000', we were given a turn to the right to a heading of 100 degrees and told to climb at best rate to FL370. At that time we were about leaving FL330 or FL350, I can't remember. I heard the controller giving another aircraft a turn and descent. I saw the other aircraft go by us on our left side and below us. The other aircraft, air carrier Y, was about 4 mi from us. We leveled at 37000' on a heading of 100 degrees and the controller changed us to frequency 120.55 (atl center). We were on hou center (132.6) when we turned to the 100 degree heading. When we contacted atl center (120.55) the controller said we were now cleared left turn direct to mgm. I asked her if this conflict had set off the alarm. She said yes it did set off the alarm. I told her that we had been cleared to 37000' and we were using normal speeds and climb rates and wondered how this happened. She said that there was a communication problem between the sectors and that it was their fault. This has happened to me before a couple of months ago. I was hoping that this new east coast change in routes would prevent these things from happening. Supplemental information from acn 84054: I saw another aircraft at our 1-2 O'clock position and queried atl if that was our traffic. Controller affirmed that it was our traffic, and that pilot stated that he was going to turn left behind us before turning right to 090 degrees, and I saw him initiate the left turn. I queried atl again and was told that the other aircraft had been cleared from FL330 to FL290. Further questioning revealed that he also was level at FL310. We received no other information from center as we proceeded from sector to sector. We don't know what transpired between center and the other aircraft before we came up on frequency, nor do we know what the actual sep was. However, we do feel the situation would have been much more serious had the other aircraft not finally made his left turn behind us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACR ACFT JUST AFTER HANDOFF FROM ONE ARTCC TO ANOTHER.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING TO OUR ASSIGNED CRUISING ALT OF 37000', WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO THE RIGHT TO A HDG OF 100 DEGS AND TOLD TO CLB AT BEST RATE TO FL370. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ABOUT LEAVING FL330 OR FL350, I CAN'T REMEMBER. I HEARD THE CTLR GIVING ANOTHER ACFT A TURN AND DSCNT. I SAW THE OTHER ACFT GO BY US ON OUR LEFT SIDE AND BELOW US. THE OTHER ACFT, ACR Y, WAS ABOUT 4 MI FROM US. WE LEVELED AT 37000' ON A HDG OF 100 DEGS AND THE CTLR CHANGED US TO FREQ 120.55 (ATL CENTER). WE WERE ON HOU CENTER (132.6) WHEN WE TURNED TO THE 100 DEG HDG. WHEN WE CONTACTED ATL CENTER (120.55) THE CTLR SAID WE WERE NOW CLRED LEFT TURN DIRECT TO MGM. I ASKED HER IF THIS CONFLICT HAD SET OFF THE ALARM. SHE SAID YES IT DID SET OFF THE ALARM. I TOLD HER THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 37000' AND WE WERE USING NORMAL SPDS AND CLB RATES AND WONDERED HOW THIS HAPPENED. SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS A COM PROB BTWN THE SECTORS AND THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. I WAS HOPING THAT THIS NEW EAST COAST CHANGE IN ROUTES WOULD PREVENT THESE THINGS FROM HAPPENING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84054: I SAW ANOTHER ACFT AT OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS AND QUERIED ATL IF THAT WAS OUR TFC. CTLR AFFIRMED THAT IT WAS OUR TFC, AND THAT PLT STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN LEFT BEHIND US BEFORE TURNING RIGHT TO 090 DEGS, AND I SAW HIM INITIATE THE LEFT TURN. I QUERIED ATL AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT THE OTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FROM FL330 TO FL290. FURTHER QUESTIONING REVEALED THAT HE ALSO WAS LEVEL AT FL310. WE RECEIVED NO OTHER INFO FROM CENTER AS WE PROCEEDED FROM SECTOR TO SECTOR. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TRANSPIRED BTWN CENTER AND THE OTHER ACFT BEFORE WE CAME UP ON FREQ, NOR DO WE KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL SEP WAS. HOWEVER, WE DO FEEL THE SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS HAD THE OTHER ACFT NOT FINALLY MADE HIS LEFT TURN BEHIND US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Less than standard separation between 2 air carrier aircraft just after handoff from one ARTCC to another.