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Near midair collision between an arrival MD88 and a climbing NORAC cessna within the class C of abe, PA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 419255 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199811 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : abe |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : abe tower : abe |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing : missed approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 13800 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 419255 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
While descending for a visual approach to runway 6 in abe, we got a TCASII alert for an aircraft below us. We saw the alerted target on TCASII about 500-600 ft below us. We weren't sure which way he was headed and looked for him visually. We were on course and on GS about 5 mi out on runway 6 at abe. Shortly after the initial alert, we got a TCASII command to climb. The first officer added power and climbed at the commanded 2000 FPM rate. During this maneuver, I observed our target was 300 ft below us and right in front of us. We never actually saw the airplane. After informing the tower of our actions we were vectored around for an uneventful visual approach. This TCASII event took place just after we had checked in with abe tower. We were never advised by either approach control or the tower of any traffic to look for. At the gate I talked by phone to the tower supervisor. He had already talked to the light airplane pilot (small cessna he thought), who had just departed from queen city municipal airport, which is 4-5 mi out of abe, just right of the runway 6 final for abe. The tower supervisor said the pilot turned the wrong way after departing queen city. He also said this was a recurring problem because that airport is so close to the runway 6 final. Even though we never saw this little airplane visually, the first officer and I both believe that if we had not had TCASII we would probably have had a midair collision.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN AN ARR MD88 AND A CLBING NORAC CESSNA WITHIN THE CLASS C OF ABE, PA.
Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 6 IN ABE, WE GOT A TCASII ALERT FOR AN ACFT BELOW US. WE SAW THE ALERTED TARGET ON TCASII ABOUT 500-600 FT BELOW US. WE WEREN'T SURE WHICH WAY HE WAS HEADED AND LOOKED FOR HIM VISUALLY. WE WERE ON COURSE AND ON GS ABOUT 5 MI OUT ON RWY 6 AT ABE. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL ALERT, WE GOT A TCASII COMMAND TO CLB. THE FO ADDED PWR AND CLBED AT THE COMMANDED 2000 FPM RATE. DURING THIS MANEUVER, I OBSERVED OUR TARGET WAS 300 FT BELOW US AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. WE NEVER ACTUALLY SAW THE AIRPLANE. AFTER INFORMING THE TWR OF OUR ACTIONS WE WERE VECTORED AROUND FOR AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH. THIS TCASII EVENT TOOK PLACE JUST AFTER WE HAD CHKED IN WITH ABE TWR. WE WERE NEVER ADVISED BY EITHER APCH CTL OR THE TWR OF ANY TFC TO LOOK FOR. AT THE GATE I TALKED BY PHONE TO THE TWR SUPVR. HE HAD ALREADY TALKED TO THE LIGHT AIRPLANE PLT (SMALL CESSNA HE THOUGHT), WHO HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM QUEEN CITY MUNI ARPT, WHICH IS 4-5 MI OUT OF ABE, JUST R OF THE RWY 6 FINAL FOR ABE. THE TWR SUPVR SAID THE PLT TURNED THE WRONG WAY AFTER DEPARTING QUEEN CITY. HE ALSO SAID THIS WAS A RECURRING PROB BECAUSE THAT ARPT IS SO CLOSE TO THE RWY 6 FINAL. EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER SAW THIS LITTLE AIRPLANE VISUALLY, THE FO AND I BOTH BELIEVE THAT IF WE HAD NOT HAD TCASII WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HAD A MIDAIR COLLISION.
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.