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A DC9 first officer turns the wrong way after ATC assigns a turn to a heading to avoid descending traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 428049 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pxv.vortac |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | British Aerospace Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 428049 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 1500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After station passage of pxv and on an intercept heading of the outbound 048 degree radial, ATC requested a 20 degree turn for descending traffic. As first officer, I was flying the DC9 and thought he had directed a 20 degree right turn, so I turned right. The captain and I started looking for the traffic. The TCASII showed an aircraft to the right and above descending. ATC then asked us if we had made a right turn. We said yes. I then asked the captain if we were to have turned left and if I had misunderstood. He said he thought so. ATC then told the other aircraft to expedite his descent through FL330. He then told me to initiate a rapid climb to FL350. At this time TCASII showed the aircraft passing 2-5 NM to our right and approximately 900-1200 ft below our altitude. We got a yellow target with 1 'traffic' call. As I was passing FL340 at about this time, ATC told me to return to FL330. I did, still on the original heading I had turned to (060 degrees). Evidently, I had turned right 20 degrees rather than left 20 degrees, but ATC did not change my heading and I was wondering why I had initiated a climb. No further maneuvers were requested by ATC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC9 FO TURNS THE WRONG WAY AFTER ATC ASSIGNS A TURN TO A HDG TO AVOID DSNDING TFC.
Narrative: AFTER STATION PASSAGE OF PXV AND ON AN INTERCEPT HDG OF THE OUTBOUND 048 DEG RADIAL, ATC REQUESTED A 20 DEG TURN FOR DSNDING TFC. AS FO, I WAS FLYING THE DC9 AND THOUGHT HE HAD DIRECTED A 20 DEG R TURN, SO I TURNED R. THE CAPT AND I STARTED LOOKING FOR THE TFC. THE TCASII SHOWED AN ACFT TO THE R AND ABOVE DSNDING. ATC THEN ASKED US IF WE HAD MADE A R TURN. WE SAID YES. I THEN ASKED THE CAPT IF WE WERE TO HAVE TURNED L AND IF I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD. HE SAID HE THOUGHT SO. ATC THEN TOLD THE OTHER ACFT TO EXPEDITE HIS DSCNT THROUGH FL330. HE THEN TOLD ME TO INITIATE A RAPID CLB TO FL350. AT THIS TIME TCASII SHOWED THE ACFT PASSING 2-5 NM TO OUR R AND APPROX 900-1200 FT BELOW OUR ALT. WE GOT A YELLOW TARGET WITH 1 'TFC' CALL. AS I WAS PASSING FL340 AT ABOUT THIS TIME, ATC TOLD ME TO RETURN TO FL330. I DID, STILL ON THE ORIGINAL HDG I HAD TURNED TO (060 DEGS). EVIDENTLY, I HAD TURNED R 20 DEGS RATHER THAN L 20 DEGS, BUT ATC DID NOT CHANGE MY HDG AND I WAS WONDERING WHY I HAD INITIATED A CLB. NO FURTHER MANEUVERS WERE REQUESTED BY ATC.
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.