Air carrier reporter has a conflict with another air carrier opposite direction climbing through his...

Attributes
ACN	258351
Time
Date	199311
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : baq
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : skec enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	258351
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our widebody transport X was cruising sbound on UA301 at FL330. We were about 30 NM north of barranquilla VOR, in the clear, with scattered clouds below our level. TCASII called 'traffic,' and the captain and I looked at our scopes to see oncoming traffic 200 ft below and climbing. We looked out and made visual contact just as the TCASII commanded 'climb, climb now!' the captain took the plane off of autoplt, and initiated a hard climb, as the vsi commanded a 2000 FPM rate of ascent. In those few seconds, the oncoming plane indicated at our altitude, within 5 mi and closing. TCASII commanded 'stop climb, descend, descend now!' the captain did, and I saw the plane coming right at us. I said 'left, I think we should bring it left.' and the captain agreed. We started about a 20-25 degree bank left. Changing our heading about 15-20 degrees. I watched as the traffic passed within 1000 ft to our right. I looked at the scope, and he was at our altitude. I called to report this to barranquilla control, and he said we had no traffic. I insisted and he spoke with 2 other aircraft in spanish. He said they were at FL310 and FL350. We think air carrier heavy Y that claimed to be at FL350 is the one that we missed. On our scope, 10 mi behind us, the plane was just 900 ft above us still in a climb even as we recovered to FL330. Though it's possible barranquilla cleared the air carrier Y to climb through our altitude by mistake, and we didn't catch it and tried to cover his altitude deviation. After recovery, we checked with the flight attendants, and they reported no problems in the cabin. The captain maneuvered aggressively, but smoothly, and while the flight attendants knew something was happening. I don't think we disturbed any of the passenger. From the first 'traffic' call, to the time it passed us, was only 20-30 seconds. If we hadn't had TCASII we probably wouldn't have seen him in time to avoid him, since he was in and out of the scattered clouds below our nose.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RPTR HAS A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACR OPPOSITE DIRECTION CLBING THROUGH HIS ALT. TCASII RA ALERTED FLC AHEAD OF TIME.

Narrative: OUR WDB X WAS CRUISING SBOUND ON UA301 AT FL330. WE WERE ABOUT 30 NM N OF BARRANQUILLA VOR, IN THE CLR, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW OUR LEVEL. TCASII CALLED 'TFC,' AND THE CAPT AND I LOOKED AT OUR SCOPES TO SEE ONCOMING TFC 200 FT BELOW AND CLBING. WE LOOKED OUT AND MADE VISUAL CONTACT JUST AS THE TCASII COMMANDED 'CLB, CLB NOW!' THE CAPT TOOK THE PLANE OFF OF AUTOPLT, AND INITIATED A HARD CLB, AS THE VSI COMMANDED A 2000 FPM RATE OF ASCENT. IN THOSE FEW SECONDS, THE ONCOMING PLANE INDICATED AT OUR ALT, WITHIN 5 MI AND CLOSING. TCASII COMMANDED 'STOP CLB, DSND, DSND NOW!' THE CAPT DID, AND I SAW THE PLANE COMING RIGHT AT US. I SAID 'L, I THINK WE SHOULD BRING IT L.' AND THE CAPT AGREED. WE STARTED ABOUT A 20-25 DEG BANK L. CHANGING OUR HDG ABOUT 15-20 DEGS. I WATCHED AS THE TFC PASSED WITHIN 1000 FT TO OUR R. I LOOKED AT THE SCOPE, AND HE WAS AT OUR ALT. I CALLED TO RPT THIS TO BARRANQUILLA CTL, AND HE SAID WE HAD NO TFC. I INSISTED AND HE SPOKE WITH 2 OTHER ACFT IN SPANISH. HE SAID THEY WERE AT FL310 AND FL350. WE THINK ACR HVY Y THAT CLAIMED TO BE AT FL350 IS THE ONE THAT WE MISSED. ON OUR SCOPE, 10 MI BEHIND US, THE PLANE WAS JUST 900 FT ABOVE US STILL IN A CLB EVEN AS WE RECOVERED TO FL330. THOUGH IT'S POSSIBLE BARRANQUILLA CLRED THE ACR Y TO CLB THROUGH OUR ALT BY MISTAKE, AND WE DIDN'T CATCH IT AND TRIED TO COVER HIS ALTDEV. AFTER RECOVERY, WE CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND THEY RPTED NO PROBS IN THE CABIN. THE CAPT MANEUVERED AGGRESSIVELY, BUT SMOOTHLY, AND WHILE THE FLT ATTENDANTS KNEW SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING. I DON'T THINK WE DISTURBED ANY OF THE PAX. FROM THE FIRST 'TFC' CALL, TO THE TIME IT PASSED US, WAS ONLY 20-30 SECONDS. IF WE HADN'T HAD TCASII WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM IN TIME TO AVOID HIM, SINCE HE WAS IN AND OUT OF THE SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW OUR NOSE.

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.

Air carrier reporter has a conflict with another air carrier opposite direction climbing through his altitude. TCASII RA alerted flight crew ahead of time.