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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Near midair collision over central america between a LR25 climbing to assigned altitude and an air carrier in cruise at night.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 320440 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199511 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tge |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 25 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : mhtg |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 1785 flight time type : 65 |
| ASRS Report | 320440 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
WX: VMC. Northbound on UG765 between tilot and nando intxns (south of ctm VOR) under centamer control (non-radar). Original clearance was direct climb to FL370. Later amended to FL290. Approaching FL290 we requested and were cleared to FL410. Centamer control requested that we expedite climb to FL410. During the climb, centamer control made repeated inquiries as to our flight level. We responded promptly and accurately to these inquiries. No mention was ever made of any possible traffic conflict. After leveling at FL410 the cargo handler and translator overheard an extensive conversation going on over center frequency in spanish between centamer control and air carrier Y flight. Air carrier Y was inquiring as to another aircraft's (us?) altitude, position, and registration number. After overhearing the controller give out our 'north' number to the air carrier Y crew, inquired to the controller (in english) as to what the conversation in spanish was about. The air carrier Y crew came back and claimed that they had had a near miss with us as we climbed through FL370 and they were opposite direction, level at FL370. We never had visual contact with this traffic, nor were we alerted to his presence by centamer control. At no time were we ever given any indication from centamer control that the traffic existed, let alone his relative position or relevance to our flight path. If it had not been for having a bilingual person onboard the aircraft we never would have had any indication that anything unusual had transpired. Since there was opposing traffic at FL370, why didn't centamer stop our climb at FL350. Why were we not alerted at any time to the opposing traffic's presence?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC OVER CENTRAL AMERICA BTWN A LR25 CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT AND AN ACR IN CRUISE AT NIGHT.
Narrative: WX: VMC. NBOUND ON UG765 BTWN TILOT AND NANDO INTXNS (S OF CTM VOR) UNDER CENTAMER CTL (NON-RADAR). ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS DIRECT CLB TO FL370. LATER AMENDED TO FL290. APCHING FL290 WE REQUESTED AND WERE CLRED TO FL410. CENTAMER CTL REQUESTED THAT WE EXPEDITE CLB TO FL410. DURING THE CLB, CENTAMER CTL MADE REPEATED INQUIRIES AS TO OUR FLT LEVEL. WE RESPONDED PROMPTLY AND ACCURATELY TO THESE INQUIRIES. NO MENTION WAS EVER MADE OF ANY POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT. AFTER LEVELING AT FL410 THE CARGO HANDLER AND TRANSLATOR OVERHEARD AN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION GOING ON OVER CTR FREQ IN SPANISH BTWN CENTAMER CTL AND ACR Y FLT. ACR Y WAS INQUIRING AS TO ANOTHER ACFT'S (US?) ALT, POS, AND REGISTRATION NUMBER. AFTER OVERHEARING THE CTLR GIVE OUT OUR 'N' NUMBER TO THE ACR Y CREW, INQUIRED TO THE CTLR (IN ENGLISH) AS TO WHAT THE CONVERSATION IN SPANISH WAS ABOUT. THE ACR Y CREW CAME BACK AND CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD HAD A NEAR MISS WITH US AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL370 AND THEY WERE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, LEVEL AT FL370. WE NEVER HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THIS TFC, NOR WERE WE ALERTED TO HIS PRESENCE BY CENTAMER CTL. AT NO TIME WERE WE EVER GIVEN ANY INDICATION FROM CENTAMER CTL THAT THE TFC EXISTED, LET ALONE HIS RELATIVE POS OR RELEVANCE TO OUR FLT PATH. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR HAVING A BILINGUAL PERSON ONBOARD THE ACFT WE NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD ANY INDICATION THAT ANYTHING UNUSUAL HAD TRANSPIRED. SINCE THERE WAS OPPOSING TFC AT FL370, WHY DIDN'T CENTAMER STOP OUR CLB AT FL350. WHY WERE WE NOT ALERTED AT ANY TIME TO THE OPPOSING TFC'S PRESENCE?
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.