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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Straight in air carrier flight abruptly makes a left turn on final and conflicts with an air carrier at same altitude on base leg.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 407270 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : clt |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : clt tower : mex |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Super DC-8 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 25 flight time total : 240 |
| ASRS Report | 407270 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 10800 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The incident occurred after air carrier X was assigned a heading of 210 degrees to intercept the localizer back course runway 23 at clt. When air carrier X was approximately 14 mi from atell, he was cleared to maintain 4000 ft until atell cleared for localizer back course runway 23 approach. Air carrier Y was on a left downwind for runway 23 descending to 4000 ft. Air carrier Y was turned left to 320 degrees for a base to final, reference air carrier X. At approximately the same time, air carrier X was intercepting the localizer back course. Air carrier X made a hard left turn to 160 degrees directly at air carrier Y. Both aircraft were level at 4000 ft. When I observed the turn of air carrier X, I questioned his heading and was told '...I'm turning to 230 degrees, request vectors to clt.' I immediately issued a traffic alert to air carrier X and a clearance to climb to 5000 ft. I immediately issued traffic alert to air carrier Y and a clearance to descend to 3000 ft. Standard separation was re-established and air carrier X and air carrier Y landed safely. Air carrier Y advised that, '...that was damned close.' the pilot of air carrier X phoned the TRACON and told the supervisor that he had trouble disarming his autoplt. I wonder if the autoplt was set for a back course approach.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: STRAIGHT IN ACR FLT ABRUPTLY MAKES A L TURN ON FINAL AND CONFLICTS WITH AN ACR AT SAME ALT ON BASE LEG.
Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER ACR X WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 210 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 23 AT CLT. WHEN ACR X WAS APPROX 14 MI FROM ATELL, HE WAS CLRED TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL ATELL CLRED FOR LOC BACK COURSE RWY 23 APCH. ACR Y WAS ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23 DSNDING TO 4000 FT. ACR Y WAS TURNED L TO 320 DEGS FOR A BASE TO FINAL, REF ACR X. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME, ACR X WAS INTERCEPTING THE LOC BACK COURSE. ACR X MADE A HARD L TURN TO 160 DEGS DIRECTLY AT ACR Y. BOTH ACFT WERE LEVEL AT 4000 FT. WHEN I OBSERVED THE TURN OF ACR X, I QUESTIONED HIS HDG AND WAS TOLD '...I'M TURNING TO 230 DEGS, REQUEST VECTORS TO CLT.' I IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A TFC ALERT TO ACR X AND A CLRNC TO CLB TO 5000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY ISSUED TFC ALERT TO ACR Y AND A CLRNC TO DSND TO 3000 FT. STANDARD SEPARATION WAS RE-ESTABLISHED AND ACR X AND ACR Y LANDED SAFELY. ACR Y ADVISED THAT, '...THAT WAS DAMNED CLOSE.' THE PLT OF ACR X PHONED THE TRACON AND TOLD THE SUPVR THAT HE HAD TROUBLE DISARMING HIS AUTOPLT. I WONDER IF THE AUTOPLT WAS SET FOR A BACK COURSE APCH.
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.