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Late call from departure controller allows a potential conflict to develop between an air carrier B737 and an small aircraft, opposite direction traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 370331 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sac airport : smf |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 370331 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 370333 |
| 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 other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 4000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error other |
Narrative:
On climb out on dudes 9 departure at 6600 ft TCASII gave a TA followed quickly by RA. TCASII indicated traffic left and 800 ft above. I asked sacramento departure if he had traffic for us. He called out VFR traffic at 6500 ft and 'sorry for the late call.' he advised us to descend to 6000 ft, however, the traffic had already passed as the copilot leveled off and started to descend to 6000 ft. We picked up the small low wing single engine aircraft visually as he passed us, turning away, in a steep right bank. This situation was a potential mid-air. We were climbing and the light aircraft was descending on a collision course. Certainly we have seen aircraft closer, as the first officer is a former F16 pilot, while I was once a military air training command instructor. However, it is common to receive TA and RA alerts, especially around airports and not take action, because we have the aircraft in sight. In this case we did not see the light aircraft, initially, and did not receive a TA from sacramento departure. Although the TCASII did give us an alert, the safety system breaks down without timely ATC traffic alerts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LATE CALL FROM DEP CTLR ALLOWS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT TO DEVELOP BTWN AN ACR B737 AND AN SMA, OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT ON DUDES 9 DEP AT 6600 FT TCASII GAVE A TA FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY RA. TCASII INDICATED TFC L AND 800 FT ABOVE. I ASKED SACRAMENTO DEP IF HE HAD TFC FOR US. HE CALLED OUT VFR TFC AT 6500 FT AND 'SORRY FOR THE LATE CALL.' HE ADVISED US TO DSND TO 6000 FT, HOWEVER, THE TFC HAD ALREADY PASSED AS THE COPLT LEVELED OFF AND STARTED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. WE PICKED UP THE SMALL LOW WING SINGLE ENG ACFT VISUALLY AS HE PASSED US, TURNING AWAY, IN A STEEP R BANK. THIS SIT WAS A POTENTIAL MID-AIR. WE WERE CLBING AND THE LIGHT ACFT WAS DSNDING ON A COLLISION COURSE. CERTAINLY WE HAVE SEEN ACFT CLOSER, AS THE FO IS A FORMER F16 PLT, WHILE I WAS ONCE A MIL AIR TRAINING COMMAND INSTRUCTOR. HOWEVER, IT IS COMMON TO RECEIVE TA AND RA ALERTS, ESPECIALLY AROUND ARPTS AND NOT TAKE ACTION, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ACFT IN SIGHT. IN THIS CASE WE DID NOT SEE THE LIGHT ACFT, INITIALLY, AND DID NOT RECEIVE A TA FROM SACRAMENTO DEP. ALTHOUGH THE TCASII DID GIVE US AN ALERT, THE SAFETY SYS BREAKS DOWN WITHOUT TIMELY ATC TFC ALERTS.
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.