<< >> NASA ASRS Report 465699, February 2000

Aircraft X failed to make a turn on the darbs 1 STAR while descending and standard separation was lost with aircraft Y.

Attributes
ACN	465699
Time
Date	200002
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : darbs 1 enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : instrument
Experience	controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 18 controller time certified in position1 : 6 flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	465699
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : edp aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 21000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft X was issued vector by another controller to join darbs 1 arrival south of szw. Aircraft at FL330 at my request. Aircraft Y was nwbound on radar vector direct vuz VOR. At the point where it appeared that aircraft X was established on the darbs 1 arrival, further descent clearance to FL290 was issued. While attending other aircraft, I observed conflict alert involving both aircraft X and Y and a vector of 220 degrees was issued to aircraft X and traffic was issued. Aircraft X was told to expedite turn and descent. Pilot did neither, turning no faster than standard rate during entire event, and leveling at FL310 before initiating a climb due to TCASII RA at the point of closest proximity to the aircraft Y flight. This maneuver put the aircraft X in direct and immediate conflict with aircraft Z flight that was 20 mi in trail of aircraft Y and also at FL310. If the pilot had done as instructed regarding expeditious turn and descent, this would have been a simple navigation error rather than a deviation resulting in loss of separation. In my opinion, TCASII should be turned off in class a airspace that is radar controled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT X FAILED TO MAKE A TURN ON THE DARBS 1 STAR WHILE DSNDING AND STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH ACFT Y.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS ISSUED VECTOR BY ANOTHER CTLR TO JOIN DARBS 1 ARR S OF SZW. ACFT AT FL330 AT MY REQUEST. ACFT Y WAS NWBOUND ON RADAR VECTOR DIRECT VUZ VOR. AT THE POINT WHERE IT APPEARED THAT ACFT X WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE DARBS 1 ARR, FURTHER DSCNT CLRNC TO FL290 WAS ISSUED. WHILE ATTENDING OTHER ACFT, I OBSERVED CONFLICT ALERT INVOLVING BOTH ACFT X AND Y AND A VECTOR OF 220 DEGS WAS ISSUED TO ACFT X AND TFC WAS ISSUED. ACFT X WAS TOLD TO EXPEDITE TURN AND DSCNT. PLT DID NEITHER, TURNING NO FASTER THAN STANDARD RATE DURING ENTIRE EVENT, AND LEVELING AT FL310 BEFORE INITIATING A CLB DUE TO TCASII RA AT THE POINT OF CLOSEST PROX TO THE ACFT Y FLT. THIS MANEUVER PUT THE ACFT X IN DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE CONFLICT WITH ACFT Z FLT THAT WAS 20 MI IN TRAIL OF ACFT Y AND ALSO AT FL310. IF THE PLT HAD DONE AS INSTRUCTED REGARDING EXPEDITIOUS TURN AND DSCNT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE NAV ERROR RATHER THAN A DEV RESULTING IN LOSS OF SEPARATION. IN MY OPINION, TCASII SHOULD BE TURNED OFF IN CLASS A AIRSPACE THAT IS RADAR CTLED.

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.