United states air carrier B747 flight crew, climbing to cleared en route altitude, comes into confli...

Attributes
ACN	426029
Time
Date	199901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : foz
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	controller military : 7 controller radar : 29 flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	426029
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 11900 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	426038
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 other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

On climb out from campinas, brazil, as we passed FL320, we noticed on TCASII another aircraft Y at our 1 O'clock position. As we continued the climb, it became apparent that he was at FL330 and on a collision course with our aircraft. We immediately turned on our lights, continued the climb. The WX was patchy skies, but we were able to see his lights which were now on. We think that the aircraft passed within 300 ft vertical and 2 mi maximum (maybe less) as we were in the left turn and difficult to keep him visual. Supplemental information from acn 426038: on jan/xa/99 we were on a flight from campinas, brazil (vcp) to santiago, chile (scl). We departed at XA30Z. As we were climbing under radar control on the airway UL310, curitiba center cleared us to FL390. The WX was marginal IMC, and again as we were climbing through FL329, the TCASII showed another aircraft coming towards us at FL330 at 12 NM. I turned all lights on and called curitiba center, but no answer. At 8 NM both aircraft were at FL330. The first officer was flying at the moment. At 6 NM the other aircraft was at FL330 and we were at FL332 or 200 ft above the aircraft. The TCASII was alerting us of the target, but not an RA yet. At that time, I took evasive action, turned left and increased the rate of climb. As we crossed, they were at FL330 and we were at FL333, 2 mi left of the other aircraft. At that time, finally got a hold of curitiba center and asked them why they cleared us to FL390 when there was another aircraft on the same airway at FL330, and we informed them of what had happened. The controller told us that there was no other aircraft on the airway. At that moment the foreign air carrier talked to the controller and confirmed what just happened. They were going from cordoba, argentina to sao paulo, brazil. The controller didn't answer us and another controller came on the frequency who spoke perfect english, and we told him what happened. Then he xferred us to another frequency and he talked to the foreign air carrier in spanish. We communicated with the foreign air carrier and we agreed to file a report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNITED STATES ACR B747 FLC, CLBING TO CLRED ENRTE ALT, COMES INTO CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER FOREIGN ACR CLRED VIA THE SAME RTE, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. B747 FLC TAKES EVASIVE ACTION, ADVISING SBCW ARTCC OF INCIDENT.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM CAMPINAS, BRAZIL, AS WE PASSED FL320, WE NOTICED ON TCASII ANOTHER ACFT Y AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. AS WE CONTINUED THE CLB, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE WAS AT FL330 AND ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH OUR ACFT. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON OUR LIGHTS, CONTINUED THE CLB. THE WX WAS PATCHY SKIES, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE HIS LIGHTS WHICH WERE NOW ON. WE THINK THAT THE ACFT PASSED WITHIN 300 FT VERT AND 2 MI MAX (MAYBE LESS) AS WE WERE IN THE L TURN AND DIFFICULT TO KEEP HIM VISUAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 426038: ON JAN/XA/99 WE WERE ON A FLT FROM CAMPINAS, BRAZIL (VCP) TO SANTIAGO, CHILE (SCL). WE DEPARTED AT XA30Z. AS WE WERE CLBING UNDER RADAR CTL ON THE AIRWAY UL310, CURITIBA CTR CLRED US TO FL390. THE WX WAS MARGINAL IMC, AND AGAIN AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL329, THE TCASII SHOWED ANOTHER ACFT COMING TOWARDS US AT FL330 AT 12 NM. I TURNED ALL LIGHTS ON AND CALLED CURITIBA CTR, BUT NO ANSWER. AT 8 NM BOTH ACFT WERE AT FL330. THE FO WAS FLYING AT THE MOMENT. AT 6 NM THE OTHER ACFT WAS AT FL330 AND WE WERE AT FL332 OR 200 FT ABOVE THE ACFT. THE TCASII WAS ALERTING US OF THE TARGET, BUT NOT AN RA YET. AT THAT TIME, I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION, TURNED L AND INCREASED THE RATE OF CLB. AS WE CROSSED, THEY WERE AT FL330 AND WE WERE AT FL333, 2 MI L OF THE OTHER ACFT. AT THAT TIME, FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF CURITIBA CTR AND ASKED THEM WHY THEY CLRED US TO FL390 WHEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON THE SAME AIRWAY AT FL330, AND WE INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE CTLR TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT ON THE AIRWAY. AT THAT MOMENT THE FOREIGN ACR TALKED TO THE CTLR AND CONFIRMED WHAT JUST HAPPENED. THEY WERE GOING FROM CORDOBA, ARGENTINA TO SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. THE CTLR DIDN'T ANSWER US AND ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ WHO SPOKE PERFECT ENGLISH, AND WE TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED. THEN HE XFERRED US TO ANOTHER FREQ AND HE TALKED TO THE FOREIGN ACR IN SPANISH. WE COMMUNICATED WITH THE FOREIGN ACR AND WE AGREED TO FILE A RPT.

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.

United states air carrier B747 flight crew, climbing to cleared en route altitude, comes into conflict with another foreign air carrier cleared via the same route, opposite direction. B747 flight crew takes evasive action, advising sbcw ARTCC of incident.