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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier X departure mci and restr to maintain 11000 ft because of an inbound air carrier Y descending to 12000 ft on a head-on course. The controller instructed the inbound to continue descent and maintain visual separation from the outbound and the outbound to climb, report sighting the descending arrival. Both aircraft required turns to safely pass each other.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 412200 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mkc airport : mci |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mci |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 450 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 18000 |
| ASRS Report | 412200 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Air carrier X was climbing on the lakes 3 departure from mci. We were cleared to climb to an altitude of 11000 ft and restr at that altitude due to an approaching airliner descending to 12000 ft. (I don't remember the air carrier but I believe it was air carrier Y). The controller inquired if the other aircraft had our aircraft in sight and he replied affirmatively. He was subsequently cleared to visually descend below 12000 ft and to keep visual separation from our aircraft. We were asked if we had the other aircraft in sight and we responded that we did not. We were cleared to climb to a higher altitude even though we had no visual contact with the other aircraft. We began a climb and when we finally got visual contact with the descending aircraft, a right turn was necessary to avoid passing too close to the aircraft. Had we not turned we would have passed at a distance which was not acceptable at my comfort level. The other aircraft complained to the controller that he was not comfortable with the separation and it appeared that he did not realize he had accepted a clearance to descend visually and remain clear of our aircraft. Corrective actions: in a case where 2 aircraft are approaching each other, I would suggest that both aircraft have visual contact before a clearance for a visual climb or descent is issued.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR X DEP MCI AND RESTR TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT BECAUSE OF AN INBOUND ACR Y DSNDING TO 12000 FT ON A HEAD-ON COURSE. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THE INBOUND TO CONTINUE DSCNT AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE OUTBOUND AND THE OUTBOUND TO CLB, RPT SIGHTING THE DSNDING ARR. BOTH ACFT REQUIRED TURNS TO SAFELY PASS EACH OTHER.
Narrative: ACR X WAS CLBING ON THE LAKES 3 DEP FROM MCI. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO AN ALT OF 11000 FT AND RESTR AT THAT ALT DUE TO AN APCHING AIRLINER DSNDING TO 12000 FT. (I DON'T REMEMBER THE ACR BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS ACR Y). THE CTLR INQUIRED IF THE OTHER ACFT HAD OUR ACFT IN SIGHT AND HE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO VISUALLY DSND BELOW 12000 FT AND TO KEEP VISUAL SEPARATION FROM OUR ACFT. WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT AND WE RESPONDED THAT WE DID NOT. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO A HIGHER ALT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD NO VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT. WE BEGAN A CLB AND WHEN WE FINALLY GOT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE DSNDING ACFT, A R TURN WAS NECESSARY TO AVOID PASSING TOO CLOSE TO THE ACFT. HAD WE NOT TURNED WE WOULD HAVE PASSED AT A DISTANCE WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AT MY COMFORT LEVEL. THE OTHER ACFT COMPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SEPARATION AND IT APPEARED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE HE HAD ACCEPTED A CLRNC TO DSND VISUALLY AND REMAIN CLR OF OUR ACFT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IN A CASE WHERE 2 ACFT ARE APCHING EACH OTHER, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BOTH ACFT HAVE VISUAL CONTACT BEFORE A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL CLB OR DSCNT IS ISSUED.
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.