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Air carrier-large transport flight crew made minor course deviation to avoid opposite direction widebody transport-air carrier resulting in less than standard separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 84271 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198803 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sby |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 22500 msl bound upper : 23000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc tower : den |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 17400 flight time type : 1950 |
| ASRS Report | 84271 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 84274 |
| 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 | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1500 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Flight was proceeding from orf to sby and had been cleared to descend to FL230. In vicinity of sby VOR, I observed widebody transport Y ahead and beneath us in opp direction and in a left bank. Vertical sep definitely less than 1000'. ATC said aircraft was assigned FL220. Disengaged autoplt and banked left (mild bank) to increase sep. Another light jet also observed in same area, southbound also at FL240. Our original clearance and routing still in effect (ie, fll adoor AR7 diw J174 orf sby ood 198 ood phl with some minor radar vectoring). We did not receive an amended arrival to phl via cedar lake arrival as anticipated. (Also, sie VOR was inoperative, part of cedar lake arrival.) there definitely appeared to be confusion and uncertainty on the part of ATC! Also, possible altitude deviation or altimeter error by widebody transport Y.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR-LGT FLT CREW MADE MINOR COURSE DEVIATION TO AVOID OPPOSITE DIRECTION WDB-ACR RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.
Narrative: FLT WAS PROCEEDING FROM ORF TO SBY AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO DSND TO FL230. IN VICINITY OF SBY VOR, I OBSERVED WDB Y AHEAD AND BENEATH US IN OPP DIRECTION AND IN A LEFT BANK. VERT SEP DEFINITELY LESS THAN 1000'. ATC SAID ACFT WAS ASSIGNED FL220. DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND BANKED LEFT (MILD BANK) TO INCREASE SEP. ANOTHER LIGHT JET ALSO OBSERVED IN SAME AREA, SBND ALSO AT FL240. OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC AND ROUTING STILL IN EFFECT (IE, FLL ADOOR AR7 DIW J174 ORF SBY OOD 198 OOD PHL WITH SOME MINOR RADAR VECTORING). WE DID NOT RECEIVE AN AMENDED ARR TO PHL VIA CEDAR LAKE ARR AS ANTICIPATED. (ALSO, SIE VOR WAS INOP, PART OF CEDAR LAKE ARR.) THERE DEFINITELY APPEARED TO BE CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY ON THE PART OF ATC! ALSO, POSSIBLE ALT DEVIATION OR ALTIMETER ERROR BY WDB Y.
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.