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Two air carrier's vectored into close proximity at same altitude resulting in less than standard separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 85576 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198804 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4100 |
| ASRS Report | 85576 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Large transport X inbound to dfw, assigned easterly heading, altitude 5000'. We were wondering why we were being held so long at 5000'. The radio chatter was very heavy, and the controller was being cut out and stepped on by various flts checking into frequency. It is a heavy arrival time into dfw. We all suddenly heard a command for us to turn left, 'tight turn please,' to a 030 degree heading. We immediately complied. As we did so, the first officer noticed an aircraft (medium large transport Y) on a conflicting course at our 2:30 position and at our altitude. I tightened the turn and continued to the assigned heading. We were subsequently funneled again into a base leg and the aircraft was landed uneventfully. The only suggestion possible at present usage of technology is, when frequency starts getting crowded, that controllers or monitor-supervisors institute an aircraft acknowledgement by identify if the instructions are clearly understood by the receiving aircraft. This may require low transponder settings or an announcement to all aircraft through ATIS of observance of strict radio discipline on terminal frequencys. Dfw controling has come a long way in the last 5 yrs. I am impressed by their competent, capable management of traffic evident nowadays, especially around WX. This was, I think, an isolated incident. My thanks to all the good people that handle us.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TWO ACR'S VECTORED INTO CLOSE PROX AT SAME ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.
Narrative: LGT X INBND TO DFW, ASSIGNED EASTERLY HDG, ALT 5000'. WE WERE WONDERING WHY WE WERE BEING HELD SO LONG AT 5000'. THE RADIO CHATTER WAS VERY HEAVY, AND THE CTLR WAS BEING CUT OUT AND STEPPED ON BY VARIOUS FLTS CHKING INTO FREQ. IT IS A HEAVY ARR TIME INTO DFW. WE ALL SUDDENLY HEARD A COMMAND FOR US TO TURN LEFT, 'TIGHT TURN PLEASE,' TO A 030 DEG HDG. WE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. AS WE DID SO, THE F/O NOTICED AN ACFT (MLG Y) ON A CONFLICTING COURSE AT OUR 2:30 POS AND AT OUR ALT. I TIGHTENED THE TURN AND CONTINUED TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY FUNNELED AGAIN INTO A BASE LEG AND THE ACFT WAS LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE ONLY SUGGESTION POSSIBLE AT PRESENT USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY IS, WHEN FREQ STARTS GETTING CROWDED, THAT CTLRS OR MONITOR-SUPVRS INSTITUTE AN ACFT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY IDENT IF THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLRLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE RECEIVING ACFT. THIS MAY REQUIRE LOW TRANSPONDER SETTINGS OR AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL ACFT THROUGH ATIS OF OBSERVANCE OF STRICT RADIO DISCIPLINE ON TERMINAL FREQS. DFW CTLING HAS COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST 5 YRS. I AM IMPRESSED BY THEIR COMPETENT, CAPABLE MGMNT OF TFC EVIDENT NOWADAYS, ESPECIALLY AROUND WX. THIS WAS, I THINK, AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. MY THANKS TO ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE THAT HANDLE 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.