<< >> NASA ASRS Report 418783, October 1998

Flight crew of an MD88 climbed in response to a TCASII RA. When reporting it to ATC, controller advised that rptrs had not been at their assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	418783
Time
Date	199810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : flm
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j90
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	418783
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	418575
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 900
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Flight was on the airway south of flm level at FL250. Center cleared us to FL280 and captain read back clearance. I climbed aircraft to FL280 with autoplt engaged and we leveled at FL280. Captain then heard center respond to another aircraft at our same flight level. He then pointed out traffic on our TCASII at our 12 O'clock position, same altitude and closing. He then queried ATC to that traffic. ATC responded by saying that we were assigned FL270. While the captain was responding to that we received a TA followed by an RA. The captain immediately began a climb per the RA and informed ATC. I then took control of the aircraft and leveled at FL290, which ATC had now cleared us to. The captain informed ATC that we were at FL290 and that we had originally been cleared to FL280 and had acknowledged that altitude to ATC. ATC then informed us that per regulations he must inform us that possible altitude deviation had occurred and then he turned us over to the next sector. Controller error created the problem. This was subsequently verified by review of the tapes, but TCASII and its use allowed us ample time to analyze and react to what could have been a serious situation. It allowed a separation of probably 1000 ft as opposed to a few hundred or possibly less.

Related reports:

• Flight crew of a B737-400 climbed in response to a TCASII RA...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD88 CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA. WHEN RPTING IT TO ATC, CTLR ADVISED THAT RPTRS HAD NOT BEEN AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON THE AIRWAY S OF FLM LEVEL AT FL250. CTR CLRED US TO FL280 AND CAPT READ BACK CLRNC. I CLBED ACFT TO FL280 WITH AUTOPLT ENGAGED AND WE LEVELED AT FL280. CAPT THEN HEARD CTR RESPOND TO ANOTHER ACFT AT OUR SAME FLT LEVEL. HE THEN POINTED OUT TFC ON OUR TCASII AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, SAME ALT AND CLOSING. HE THEN QUERIED ATC TO THAT TFC. ATC RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED FL270. WHILE THE CAPT WAS RESPONDING TO THAT WE RECEIVED A TA FOLLOWED BY AN RA. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A CLB PER THE RA AND INFORMED ATC. I THEN TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND LEVELED AT FL290, WHICH ATC HAD NOW CLRED US TO. THE CAPT INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE AT FL290 AND THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN CLRED TO FL280 AND HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ALT TO ATC. ATC THEN INFORMED US THAT PER REGS HE MUST INFORM US THAT POSSIBLE ALTDEV HAD OCCURRED AND THEN HE TURNED US OVER TO THE NEXT SECTOR. CTLR ERROR CREATED THE PROB. THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY VERIFIED BY REVIEW OF THE TAPES, BUT TCASII AND ITS USE ALLOWED US AMPLE TIME TO ANALYZE AND REACT TO WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SIT. IT ALLOWED A SEPARATION OF PROBABLY 1000 FT AS OPPOSED TO A FEW HUNDRED OR POSSIBLY LESS.

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.