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Air carrier departing lax requested to level off as small aircraft with mode C readout, but no contact flies overhead.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 177737 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax tower : fll |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 136 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 22 |
| ASRS Report | 177737 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 340 |
| ASRS Report | 177891 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Just after takeoff lax tower instructed us to maintain 2000' as assigned and contact departure control. At approximately 1000', we switched to departure control and were given instruction to maintain 1500' because of traffic at 2000'. We leveled off at 1500' and located the traffic at 9-10 O'clock, approximately 1 mi. We passed under the traffic with approximately 500' sep. The controller asked if the 2000' altitude looked correct and could we tell what type of aircraft it was. We thought the aircraft to be a single engine small aircraft, but never saw the tail because of the approaching angle. We concluded that the small aircraft was in the TCA and not in contact with departure or approach control, but was squawking altitude on his transponder. The aircraft was approximately 2 mi west of the shoreline (lax VOR). Our aircraft was not yet equipped with TCAS. Due to the fact of the angle of the approaching traffic of approximately 90 degrees and not having TCAS on our aircraft, this could have been a bad situation had it not been for a very alert female controller. We consider this a nice save on her part.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR DEPARTING LAX REQUESTED TO LEVEL OFF AS SMA WITH MODE C READOUT, BUT NO CONTACT FLIES OVERHEAD.
Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF LAX TWR INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 2000' AS ASSIGNED AND CONTACT DEP CTL. AT APPROX 1000', WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN 1500' BECAUSE OF TFC AT 2000'. WE LEVELED OFF AT 1500' AND LOCATED THE TFC AT 9-10 O'CLOCK, APPROX 1 MI. WE PASSED UNDER THE TFC WITH APPROX 500' SEP. THE CTLR ASKED IF THE 2000' ALT LOOKED CORRECT AND COULD WE TELL WHAT TYPE OF ACFT IT WAS. WE THOUGHT THE ACFT TO BE A SINGLE ENG SMA, BUT NEVER SAW THE TAIL BECAUSE OF THE APCHING ANGLE. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE SMA WAS IN THE TCA AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH DEP OR APCH CTL, BUT WAS SQUAWKING ALT ON HIS XPONDER. THE ACFT WAS APPROX 2 MI W OF THE SHORELINE (LAX VOR). OUR ACFT WAS NOT YET EQUIPPED WITH TCAS. DUE TO THE FACT OF THE ANGLE OF THE APCHING TFC OF APPROX 90 DEGS AND NOT HAVING TCAS ON OUR ACFT, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD SITUATION HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR A VERY ALERT FEMALE CTLR. WE CONSIDER THIS A NICE SAVE ON HER PART.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.