 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An air carrier large transport crew descended in response to a TCASII command over international waters.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 248769 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199308 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : usr |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : muha |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 248769 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 248645 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After a normal departure and during climb, approximately 50 mi south of cuba's ADIZ and the putul intersection, we checked in with havana center and advised them of our position and our ETA for putul. Havana returned and asked us to check over putul and climb to FL350. We checked putul intersection at XA07Z, climbing from FL250 to FL350 and requested putul direct ursus intersection. Havana approved our request and told us to squawk code Y. Proceeding direct to ursus and still in our climb, at approximately 55-60 mi north of putul, TCASII picked up a weak target on screen. Adjustments were made to get a more positive return. While still climbing through FL320, we had a positive target on TCASII, FL330, 5-6 mi on a head-on course to us. At this time we picked up traffic visually and took evasive action, by descending to avoid traffic. We were climbing at a rate of 500 FPM when we began our descent at a rate greater than 1000 FPM. When climb was stopped, TCASII showed us 500 ft below traffic. After we were clear of conflict, I called havana and told him we were in a descent. I asked if there was any other traffic we could come in conflict with. His reply was to maintain FL320. I questioned him as to why we were not advised of this traffic. His reply was 'you are cleared to climb to FL350 and that we were clear.' he avoided any of my questions as to what went wrong. The other flight was a foreign air carrier, FL330, proceeding from alegre intersection to toton intersection from mia to kin. He had been deviating. Throughout the event, TCASII operated correctly, displaying, in sequence, all of the alerts as well as commands. Commands came after we started evasive action, the final command being 'excessive rate of descent.' at no time were there excessive loads put on the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 248645: the contributing factors in my option was the lack of communication between kingston center and havana center. I say this because during our handoff from kingston they asked us to request that havana give them a call on the telephone because they could not get through.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR LGT CREW DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII COMMAND OVER INTL WATERS.
Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL DEP AND DURING CLB, APPROX 50 MI S OF CUBA'S ADIZ AND THE PUTUL INTXN, WE CHKED IN WITH HAVANA CTR AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR POS AND OUR ETA FOR PUTUL. HAVANA RETURNED AND ASKED US TO CHK OVER PUTUL AND CLB TO FL350. WE CHKED PUTUL INTXN AT XA07Z, CLBING FROM FL250 TO FL350 AND REQUESTED PUTUL DIRECT URSUS INTXN. HAVANA APPROVED OUR REQUEST AND TOLD US TO SQUAWK CODE Y. PROCEEDING DIRECT TO URSUS AND STILL IN OUR CLB, AT APPROX 55-60 MI N OF PUTUL, TCASII PICKED UP A WEAK TARGET ON SCREEN. ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO GET A MORE POSITIVE RETURN. WHILE STILL CLBING THROUGH FL320, WE HAD A POSITIVE TARGET ON TCASII, FL330, 5-6 MI ON A HEAD-ON COURSE TO US. AT THIS TIME WE PICKED UP TFC VISUALLY AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION, BY DSNDING TO AVOID TFC. WE WERE CLBING AT A RATE OF 500 FPM WHEN WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT AT A RATE GREATER THAN 1000 FPM. WHEN CLB WAS STOPPED, TCASII SHOWED US 500 FT BELOW TFC. AFTER WE WERE CLR OF CONFLICT, I CALLED HAVANA AND TOLD HIM WE WERE IN A DSCNT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER TFC WE COULD COME IN CONFLICT WITH. HIS REPLY WAS TO MAINTAIN FL320. I QUESTIONED HIM AS TO WHY WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF THIS TFC. HIS REPLY WAS 'YOU ARE CLRED TO CLB TO FL350 AND THAT WE WERE CLR.' HE AVOIDED ANY OF MY QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT WENT WRONG. THE OTHER FLT WAS A FOREIGN ACR, FL330, PROCEEDING FROM ALEGRE INTXN TO TOTON INTXN FROM MIA TO KIN. HE HAD BEEN DEVIATING. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, TCASII OPERATED CORRECTLY, DISPLAYING, IN SEQUENCE, ALL OF THE ALERTS AS WELL AS COMMANDS. COMMANDS CAME AFTER WE STARTED EVASIVE ACTION, THE FINAL COMMAND BEING 'EXCESSIVE RATE OF DSCNT.' AT NO TIME WERE THERE EXCESSIVE LOADS PUT ON THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 248645: THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY OPTION WAS THE LACK OF COM BTWN KINGSTON CTR AND HAVANA CTR. I SAY THIS BECAUSE DURING OUR HDOF FROM KINGSTON THEY ASKED US TO REQUEST THAT HAVANA GIVE THEM A CALL ON THE TELEPHONE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT GET THROUGH.
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.