King air cpr aircraft at cruise level has near midair collision with B737 descending. Center neglect...

Attributes
ACN	376236
Time
Date	199707
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gve
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Super King Air 300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	376236
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 121 flight time total : 4036 flight time type : 852
ASRS Report	376227
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 8000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

My copilot and I were flying along at FL180 on our way to gso about 50 mi northeast of gve VOR in a king air BE30 with several passenger. My copilot noticed traffic on the TCASII approaching from our 1 O'clock position out of FL190. She then was able to see the traffic visually and pointed out a B737. As the aircraft got closer, I realized I needed to take evasive action or he was going to hit us. I rolled into a 30 degree bank right turn and changed heading by 45 degrees. By our estimates the B737 got as close as 1.5 mi and 400 ft vertical. Also, the TCASII was directing us to descend, which I did not feel comfortable doing since the B737 was descending towards us. We also stated to the controller we took evasive action. We then asked the controller what happened and he said he did not talk to the B737, that he was being handled by 'national' center. We got a phone number to call to talk to the national TRACON supervisor. When we got on the ground at gso, I called and spoke with the national TRACON supervisor. He explained that he saw the whole thing happen. Apparently, the controller who was handling us electronically handed us off to national center, but never verbally switched us to a different frequency. Therefore, national center could not talk to us even though they were trying to. The supervisor admitted that ZDC 'screwed up' by not switching us. Although this is comforting to know that controllers are human too, it could have been disastrous. I contribute the controller's workload which was substantial at the time, along with a complex and confusing ATC system as factors which caused this problem. The diligent efforts by both crews to see and avoid and effective crew resource management, along with functional TCASII equipment are, in my opinion, the commanding elements that kept this occurrence from being an accident with the loss of lives.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KING AIR CPR ACFT AT CRUISE LEVEL HAS NMAC WITH B737 DSNDING. CTR NEGLECTED TO HAVE KING AIR FLC CHANGE FREQ AND THE 2 ACFT WERE ON DIFFERENT FREQS. BOTH ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: MY COPLT AND I WERE FLYING ALONG AT FL180 ON OUR WAY TO GSO ABOUT 50 MI NE OF GVE VOR IN A KING AIR BE30 WITH SEVERAL PAX. MY COPLT NOTICED TFC ON THE TCASII APCHING FROM OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS OUT OF FL190. SHE THEN WAS ABLE TO SEE THE TFC VISUALLY AND POINTED OUT A B737. AS THE ACFT GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED I NEEDED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION OR HE WAS GOING TO HIT US. I ROLLED INTO A 30 DEG BANK R TURN AND CHANGED HDG BY 45 DEGS. BY OUR ESTIMATES THE B737 GOT AS CLOSE AS 1.5 MI AND 400 FT VERT. ALSO, THE TCASII WAS DIRECTING US TO DSND, WHICH I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING SINCE THE B737 WAS DSNDING TOWARDS US. WE ALSO STATED TO THE CTLR WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. WE THEN ASKED THE CTLR WHAT HAPPENED AND HE SAID HE DID NOT TALK TO THE B737, THAT HE WAS BEING HANDLED BY 'NATIONAL' CTR. WE GOT A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL TO TALK TO THE NATIONAL TRACON SUPVR. WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND AT GSO, I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE NATIONAL TRACON SUPVR. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE SAW THE WHOLE THING HAPPEN. APPARENTLY, THE CTLR WHO WAS HANDLING US ELECTRONICALLY HANDED US OFF TO NATIONAL CTR, BUT NEVER VERBALLY SWITCHED US TO A DIFFERENT FREQ. THEREFORE, NATIONAL CTR COULD NOT TALK TO US EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TRYING TO. THE SUPVR ADMITTED THAT ZDC 'SCREWED UP' BY NOT SWITCHING US. ALTHOUGH THIS IS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT CTLRS ARE HUMAN TOO, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. I CONTRIBUTE THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIAL AT THE TIME, ALONG WITH A COMPLEX AND CONFUSING ATC SYS AS FACTORS WHICH CAUSED THIS PROB. THE DILIGENT EFFORTS BY BOTH CREWS TO SEE AND AVOID AND EFFECTIVE CREW RESOURCE MGMNT, ALONG WITH FUNCTIONAL TCASII EQUIP ARE, IN MY OPINION, THE COMMANDING ELEMENTS THAT KEPT THIS OCCURRENCE FROM BEING AN ACCIDENT WITH THE LOSS OF LIVES.

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.

King air cpr aircraft at cruise level has near midair collision with B737 descending. Center neglected to have king air flight crew change frequency and the 2 aircraft were on different frequencys. Both aircraft took evasive action.