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An air carrier flight crew in a 2 engine jet transport confuse a heading assignment as an altitude clearance and start an unauthorized climb that results in a TCASII RA with another aircraft that was descending.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430556 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : lga.vor |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 12000 agl bound upper : 41 agl single value : 40 msl single value : 13300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 430556 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 3000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were on vectors from lga departure. Our last clearance had been to climb to 12000 ft and heading of 220 degrees. We were then given a clearance of what we both understood to be to climb to FL220. The captain read back 'climb to FL220.' I initiated a climb. Shortly thereafter we were getting a traffic warning from TCASII. I looked and saw the traffic and reduced my climb rate. (We were very light, so our climb rate was very high.) TCASII gave the warning 'reduce climb.' the traffic was at 1 O'clock, 3500 ft above us, descending. We did have him in sight and I leveled, while the captain called ATC to verify the altitude we were cleared to was FL220. ATC then said 'no, 12000 ft was your cleared altitude, I gave you a heading of 220 degrees' (which we were already on). We advised him we were at 13300 ft since we had understood and read back a clearance to FL220. He then told us to just climb to 14000 ft, which we did. Separation was never less than 3000 ft with the other plane and ATC never advised us of any conflict.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC IN A 2 ENG JET TRANSPORT CONFUSE A HDG ASSIGNMENT AS AN ALT CLRNC AND START AN UNAUTH CLB THAT RESULTS IN A TCASII RA WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS DSNDING.
Narrative: WE WERE ON VECTORS FROM LGA DEP. OUR LAST CLRNC HAD BEEN TO CLB TO 12000 FT AND HDG OF 220 DEGS. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A CLRNC OF WHAT WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD TO BE TO CLB TO FL220. THE CAPT READ BACK 'CLB TO FL220.' I INITIATED A CLB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE GETTING A TFC WARNING FROM TCASII. I LOOKED AND SAW THE TFC AND REDUCED MY CLB RATE. (WE WERE VERY LIGHT, SO OUR CLB RATE WAS VERY HIGH.) TCASII GAVE THE WARNING 'REDUCE CLB.' THE TFC WAS AT 1 O'CLOCK, 3500 FT ABOVE US, DSNDING. WE DID HAVE HIM IN SIGHT AND I LEVELED, WHILE THE CAPT CALLED ATC TO VERIFY THE ALT WE WERE CLRED TO WAS FL220. ATC THEN SAID 'NO, 12000 FT WAS YOUR CLRED ALT, I GAVE YOU A HDG OF 220 DEGS' (WHICH WE WERE ALREADY ON). WE ADVISED HIM WE WERE AT 13300 FT SINCE WE HAD UNDERSTOOD AND READ BACK A CLRNC TO FL220. HE THEN TOLD US TO JUST CLB TO 14000 FT, WHICH WE DID. SEPARATION WAS NEVER LESS THAN 3000 FT WITH THE OTHER PLANE AND ATC NEVER ADVISED US OF ANY CONFLICT.
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.