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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier DC8-7 flight crew apparently acknowledges altitude descent clearance for wrong aircraft. Approach controller challenges DC8-77's descent and issues other control instructions. Flight crew climbs and comes in possible conflict with other aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 410357 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 70 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 410357 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 410864 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1500 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were with new york approach, ewr sector, heading northeast and descending to 3000 ft, on vectors to runway 22L at ewr. 3000 ft is what I heard, read back, and set in the altitude alerter. We (first officer was PF) were descending through 3700 ft when the very busy and harried-sounding controller exclaimed that we should be at 5000 ft. We immediately climbed to 5000 ft, and responded that we had heard, read back, and set 3000 ft. Upon reaching 5000 ft, the controller then had to give us an immediate turn to 360 degrees because of an MD80 at 5000 ft. We were aircraft X, other aircraft call sign is unknown. Contributing to this incident: evening rush in new york area, controller task saturation, similar sounding call signs, no TCASII on our aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR DC8-7 FLC APPARENTLY ACKNOWLEDGES ALT DSCNT CLRNC FOR WRONG ACFT. APCH CTLR CHALLENGES DC8-77'S DSCNT AND ISSUES OTHER CTL INSTRUCTIONS. FLC CLBS AND COMES IN POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT.
Narrative: WE WERE WITH NEW YORK APCH, EWR SECTOR, HDG NE AND DSNDING TO 3000 FT, ON VECTORS TO RWY 22L AT EWR. 3000 FT IS WHAT I HEARD, READ BACK, AND SET IN THE ALT ALERTER. WE (FO WAS PF) WERE DSNDING THROUGH 3700 FT WHEN THE VERY BUSY AND HARRIED-SOUNDING CTLR EXCLAIMED THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 5000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 5000 FT, AND RESPONDED THAT WE HAD HEARD, READ BACK, AND SET 3000 FT. UPON REACHING 5000 FT, THE CTLR THEN HAD TO GIVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 360 DEGS BECAUSE OF AN MD80 AT 5000 FT. WE WERE ACFT X, OTHER ACFT CALL SIGN IS UNKNOWN. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT: EVENING RUSH IN NEW YORK AREA, CTLR TASK SATURATION, SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS, NO TCASII ON OUR ACFT.
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.