Potential conflict less than standard separation between two air carrier widebody transport's.

Attributes
ACN	205356
Time
Date	199203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pmm
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	205356
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X widebody transport holding at pmm at FL200. Air carrier Y widebody transport entering holding at pmm from the north at FL210. Air carrier Y track still showing south to swbound was issued right turn direct pappi direct ord at 250 KTS. The pilot read the clearance back then was issued FL200. Air carrier Y should have headed about 260 degrees to get to pappi. Instead, he continued around to about an 080 degrees heading, head on with air carrier X at FL200. Now wbound in pmm holding pattern. Air carrier Y was issued an immediate descent, but replied that he was climbing. Air carrier Y was told to climb to FL210 and air carrier X was issued a descent to FL180.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS BTWN TWO ACR WDB'S.

Narrative: ACR X WDB HOLDING AT PMM AT FL200. ACR Y WDB ENTERING HOLDING AT PMM FROM THE N AT FL210. ACR Y TRACK STILL SHOWING S TO SWBOUND WAS ISSUED R TURN DIRECT PAPPI DIRECT ORD AT 250 KTS. THE PLT READ THE CLRNC BACK THEN WAS ISSUED FL200. ACR Y SHOULD HAVE HEADED ABOUT 260 DEGS TO GET TO PAPPI. INSTEAD, HE CONTINUED AROUND TO ABOUT AN 080 DEGS HDG, HEAD ON WITH ACR X AT FL200. NOW WBOUND IN PMM HOLDING PATTERN. ACR Y WAS ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT, BUT REPLIED THAT HE WAS CLBING. ACR Y WAS TOLD TO CLB TO FL210 AND ACR X WAS ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL180.

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.