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Flight crew of a B737-300 stopped their descent in response to a TCASII RA while following a heading and altitude change given by the ARTCC controller. The controller had given them the change to avoid traffic, only to turn them in to opposite direction traffic by a controller trainee.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 472111 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : zizzi |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33800 msl bound upper : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j174.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j174.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 4400 |
| ASRS Report | 472111 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 21000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
During level cruise at FL350, approximately 60 NM northeast of zizzi intersection, while operating on our assigned filed ATC route (J174) headed south, ATC instructed our flight to 'turn left 10 degrees, vectors for your descent, descend to FL310.' I read back '10 degrees left, descend to FL310.' established on the new heading (off the airway) and descending through FL341, we received a TA on TCASII alerting us of an aircraft at our 11 O'clock position and approximately 1000 ft below us within 5 mi of our position. The PF (captain) selected altitude hold on the MCP and the aircraft leveled off at FL340 after a brief descent to approximately FL338. I, the PNF, asked ATC if she had intended for us to make the turn to the left as we were instructed previously, since it had put us in conflict with opposite direction traffic below us. Her response was ambiguous to this question, but no corrective action was requested by ATC. A new controller took over the communications at this point. We requested to make a right turn back direct to zizzi, but we were disallowed this due to traffic off our right. After the conflicting traffic passed off our left, we continued our descent to FL310.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B737-300 STOPPED THEIR DSCNT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA WHILE FOLLOWING A HDG AND ALT CHANGE GIVEN BY THE ARTCC CTLR. THE CTLR HAD GIVEN THEM THE CHANGE TO AVOID TFC, ONLY TO TURN THEM IN TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC BY A CTLR TRAINEE.
Narrative: DURING LEVEL CRUISE AT FL350, APPROX 60 NM NE OF ZIZZI INTXN, WHILE OPERATING ON OUR ASSIGNED FILED ATC RTE (J174) HEADED S, ATC INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO 'TURN L 10 DEGS, VECTORS FOR YOUR DSCNT, DSND TO FL310.' I READ BACK '10 DEGS L, DSND TO FL310.' ESTABLISHED ON THE NEW HDG (OFF THE AIRWAY) AND DSNDING THROUGH FL341, WE RECEIVED A TA ON TCASII ALERTING US OF AN ACFT AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AND APPROX 1000 FT BELOW US WITHIN 5 MI OF OUR POS. THE PF (CAPT) SELECTED ALT HOLD ON THE MCP AND THE ACFT LEVELED OFF AT FL340 AFTER A BRIEF DSCNT TO APPROX FL338. I, THE PNF, ASKED ATC IF SHE HAD INTENDED FOR US TO MAKE THE TURN TO THE L AS WE WERE INSTRUCTED PREVIOUSLY, SINCE IT HAD PUT US IN CONFLICT WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC BELOW US. HER RESPONSE WAS AMBIGUOUS TO THIS QUESTION, BUT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS REQUESTED BY ATC. A NEW CTLR TOOK OVER THE COMS AT THIS POINT. WE REQUESTED TO MAKE A R TURN BACK DIRECT TO ZIZZI, BUT WE WERE DISALLOWED THIS DUE TO TFC OFF OUR R. AFTER THE CONFLICTING TFC PASSED OFF OUR L, WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO FL310.
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.