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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Last minute intervention by controller supervisor in a training situation turns and levels air carrier on departure to prevent a midair. Less than standard separation occurs since traffic is not parallel on stage III radar.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 123714 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6800 msl bound upper : 7200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 74 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 123714 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | unspecified : 15000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error other |
Narrative:
Our flight was cleared to depart sfo runway 1R on a sfo 3 SID (heading 030 degree) with a climb to FL230. We climbed thru an overcast with tops at approximately 4500' at a climb rate of approximately 3500 FPM. As we were passing 6800', a bay departure ATC instructor suddenly broke in on the ATC trainee and instructed us to level off at 7000' and turn left to 310 degree heading due to conflicting traffic at 7500'. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and initiated a level off and turn. However, our aircraft reached 7200' before I could stop the climb. We never saw the light aircraft reported to be at 7500' in our near vicinity so we are unable to estimate our lateral separation. Vertical separation was approximately 300'. I cannot explain why I did not visually acquire the conflicting traffic. Collision avoidance equipment would have been a great help in detecting and avoiding the conflict. I feel strongly that the deadline for installing this equipment should not be extended as currently being proposed. In the meantime, it should be reemphasized to ATC controllers that aircraft inertia and passenger safety do not allow instantaneous level offs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LAST MINUTE INTERVENTION BY CTLR SUPVR IN A TRAINING SITUATION TURNS AND LEVELS ACR ON DEP TO PREVENT A MIDAIR. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION OCCURS SINCE TRAFFIC IS NOT PARALLEL ON STAGE III RADAR.
Narrative: OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO DEPART SFO RWY 1R ON A SFO 3 SID (HDG 030 DEG) WITH A CLIMB TO FL230. WE CLIMBED THRU AN OVERCAST WITH TOPS AT APPROX 4500' AT A CLIMB RATE OF APPROX 3500 FPM. AS WE WERE PASSING 6800', A BAY DEP ATC INSTRUCTOR SUDDENLY BROKE IN ON THE ATC TRAINEE AND INSTRUCTED US TO LEVEL OFF AT 7000' AND TURN LEFT TO 310 DEG HDG DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC AT 7500'. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A LEVEL OFF AND TURN. HOWEVER, OUR ACFT REACHED 7200' BEFORE I COULD STOP THE CLIMB. WE NEVER SAW THE LIGHT ACFT REPORTED TO BE AT 7500' IN OUR NEAR VICINITY SO WE ARE UNABLE TO ESTIMATE OUR LATERAL SEPARATION. VERTICAL SEPARATION WAS APPROX 300'. I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY I DID NOT VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE CONFLICTING TFC. COLLISION AVOIDANCE EQUIPMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP IN DETECTING AND AVOIDING THE CONFLICT. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE DEADLINE FOR INSTALLING THIS EQUIPMENT SHOULD NOT BE EXTENDED AS CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED. IN THE MEANTIME, IT SHOULD BE REEMPHASIZED TO ATC CTLRS THAT ACFT INERTIA AND PAX SAFETY DO NOT ALLOW INSTANTANEOUS LEVEL OFFS.
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.