Small aircraft pilot at a cardinal altitude also wrong altitude for direction of flight. Pilot devia...

Attributes
ACN	121516
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjt
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sjt tower : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 7
ASRS Report	121516
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	unspecified : 1500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Atx X came on my frequency. ZFW called on the hot line to say that atx X had VFR traffic 1/4 mi, head-on at 8000 MSL. The traffic was relayed to atx X which he confirmed. The pilot of atx X said it was a GA small aircraft at level flight (wrong altitude for direction of flight as well as a hard altitude). Center said that they had only painted the traffic right before they called sju approach control. If sjt had radar we would probably have seen the traffic sooner and prevented, in the words of the atx X pilot, 'a heart stopping incident'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT AT A CARDINAL ALT ALSO WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ATX X CAME ON MY FREQ. ZFW CALLED ON THE HOT LINE TO SAY THAT ATX X HAD VFR TFC 1/4 MI, HEAD-ON AT 8000 MSL. THE TFC WAS RELAYED TO ATX X WHICH HE CONFIRMED. THE PLT OF ATX X SAID IT WAS A GA SMA AT LEVEL FLT (WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT AS WELL AS A HARD ALT). CENTER SAID THAT THEY HAD ONLY PAINTED THE TFC RIGHT BEFORE THEY CALLED SJU APCH CTL. IF SJT HAD RADAR WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THE TFC SOONER AND PREVENTED, IN THE WORDS OF THE ATX X PLT, 'A HEART STOPPING INCIDENT'.

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.

Small aircraft pilot at a cardinal altitude also wrong altitude for direction of flight. Pilot deviation.