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Air carrier-large transport flight crew took evasive action turn to avoid collision with air carrier-medium large transport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 88554 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198803 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10800 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau tower : dca |
| 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 : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 88554 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2000 vertical : 150 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Large transport X was on a northbound vector southeast of ord. We had been cleared to descend to 10000', then reclred to maintain 11000'. Nearing ord 130 degree/45 area we noticed medium large transport Y descending on a collision course in our 1:30 position. A mild right turn was initiated to avoid the traffic (an medium large transport). Had this happened in IFR conditions a collision would have been highly probable and very close for sure. I feel that the main cause of this incident was the fact that the controller was overloaded. A review of his tapes will show that he was loaded to the breaking point. No human being can handle maximum load all the time west/O errors. This was an experienced controller on a clear day doing a great job, but he was so busy he made an error. To punish or retrain the controller would be to sweep this incident under the rug. We have a crisis in ATC that must be faced. This crisis is on the verge of criminal negligence. If nothing is done to modernize and staff ATC, letters of this nature will do no good. Please, someone listen before we kill another load of passenger.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR-LGT FLT CREW TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TURN TO AVOID COLLISION WITH ACR-MLG.
Narrative: LGT X WAS ON A NBOUND VECTOR SE OF ORD. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO DSND TO 10000', THEN RECLRED TO MAINTAIN 11000'. NEARING ORD 130 DEG/45 AREA WE NOTICED MLG Y DSNDING ON A COLLISION COURSE IN OUR 1:30 POS. A MILD RIGHT TURN WAS INITIATED TO AVOID THE TFC (AN MLG). HAD THIS HAPPENED IN IFR CONDITIONS A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHLY PROBABLE AND VERY CLOSE FOR SURE. I FEEL THAT THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED. A REVIEW OF HIS TAPES WILL SHOW THAT HE WAS LOADED TO THE BREAKING POINT. NO HUMAN BEING CAN HANDLE MAX LOAD ALL THE TIME W/O ERRORS. THIS WAS AN EXPERIENCED CTLR ON A CLEAR DAY DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT HE WAS SO BUSY HE MADE AN ERROR. TO PUNISH OR RETRAIN THE CTLR WOULD BE TO SWEEP THIS INCIDENT UNDER THE RUG. WE HAVE A CRISIS IN ATC THAT MUST BE FACED. THIS CRISIS IS ON THE VERGE OF CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. IF NOTHING IS DONE TO MODERNIZE AND STAFF ATC, LETTERS OF THIS NATURE WILL DO NO GOOD. PLEASE, SOMEONE LISTEN BEFORE WE KILL ANOTHER LOAD OF PAX.
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.