Loss of separation between air carrier DC10 and a foreign military fighter at FL240.

Attributes
ACN	399820
Time
Date	199804
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elb
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24400 msl bound upper : 24400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : lirr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighter
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	399820
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 700
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Climbing to FL280 under radar control on heading 320 degrees. Leaving FL244 received a TCASII RA to descend. TCASII screen showed target 400 ft above and about 1 mi. I descended to FL240. Roma control confirmed our visual sighting of a military fighter aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated in the callback that they were flying a DC10 and the fighter aircraft was a mirage or tornado type which was coming down the airway. Reporter had been on a vector prior to receiving the TCASII RA and sighting the fighter. Reporter felt that controller did not think the situation was a big deal until reporter informed the controller that reporter was required to file a report because of the TCASII RA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN ACR DC10 AND A FOREIGN MIL FIGHTER AT FL240.

Narrative: CLBING TO FL280 UNDER RADAR CTL ON HDG 320 DEGS. LEAVING FL244 RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND. TCASII SCREEN SHOWED TARGET 400 FT ABOVE AND ABOUT 1 MI. I DSNDED TO FL240. ROMA CTL CONFIRMED OUR VISUAL SIGHTING OF A MIL FIGHTER ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED IN THE CALLBACK THAT THEY WERE FLYING A DC10 AND THE FIGHTER ACFT WAS A MIRAGE OR TORNADO TYPE WHICH WAS COMING DOWN THE AIRWAY. RPTR HAD BEEN ON A VECTOR PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE TCASII RA AND SIGHTING THE FIGHTER. RPTR FELT THAT CTLR DID NOT THINK THE SIT WAS A BIG DEAL UNTIL RPTR INFORMED THE CTLR THAT RPTR WAS REQUIRED TO FILE A RPT BECAUSE OF THE TCASII RA.

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.