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ARTCC radar controller complains that airbus aircraft routinely turn before reaching a fix instead of passing over the fix before making a turn, causing increasing workload to prevent traffic conflicts.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 498451 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 30000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j212.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | controller time certified in position1 : 13 flight time total : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 498451 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft ATC Human Performance ATC Facility |
Narrative:
Today while working R40 at approximately xa:20Z I had an unsafe situation occur with air carrier X A319. Airbus pilots are navigating without their equipment placed in the over flight mode with increasing regularity. Air carrier X was climbing slowly to FL330 via trm then eed. Air carrier Y was westbound on J212 descending out of FL310 for FL280. Air carrier X began an early turn toward eed approximately 2 to 3 NM west of trm. This turn placed the aircraft in the proximity air carrier Y this situation should never occur and an FAA directive should be issued to airbus aircraft to utilize the over-flight navigation mode only. Sector 40 at ZLA cannot safely accommodate aircraft navigation equipment that allows aircraft to make early turns at their points of navigation. This sector is too busy and complex for such sits. Controllers should not be required to instruct every pilot of airbus model aircraft on frequency, to over-fly the fixes listed in their flight plans. It consumes too much time and is distracting. Los angeles ARTCC is currently seeking methods to reduce complexity and enhance safety for our air traffic operations. Controllers are aware of this situation with airbus aircraft and have been working around it for several yrs now. We have had several close calls involving airbus early turns and we shouldn't be complacent waiting for the inevitable operation error to occur. Airbus aircraft should over-fly the fixes filed by its pilots in the same manner as other RNAV aircraft. Controllers should be able to operate a sector with reasonable assurance that aircraft will navigate via the fixes filed in their flight plans and not make unexpected maneuvers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the reporter has this problem with only airbus aircraft. It has not been a problem with other FMS (code east) and GPS (code G) aircraft. He claims it is and ongoing problem that complicates maintaining separation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINS THAT AIRBUS ACFT ROUTINELY TURN BEFORE REACHING A FIX INSTEAD OF PASSING OVER THE FIX BEFORE MAKING A TURN, CAUSING INCREASING WORKLOAD TO PREVENT TFC CONFLICTS.
Narrative: TODAY WHILE WORKING R40 AT APPROX XA:20Z I HAD AN UNSAFE SIT OCCUR WITH ACR X A319. AIRBUS PLTS ARE NAVIGATING WITHOUT THEIR EQUIP PLACED IN THE OVER FLT MODE WITH INCREASING REGULARITY. ACR X WAS CLBING SLOWLY TO FL330 VIA TRM THEN EED. ACR Y WAS WESTBOUND ON J212 DSNDING OUT OF FL310 FOR FL280. ACR X BEGAN AN EARLY TURN TOWARD EED APPROX 2 TO 3 NM W OF TRM. THIS TURN PLACED THE ACFT IN THE PROXIMITY ACR Y THIS SIT SHOULD NEVER OCCUR AND AN FAA DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE ISSUED TO AIRBUS ACFT TO UTILIZE THE OVER-FLT NAVIGATION MODE ONLY. SECTOR 40 AT ZLA CANNOT SAFELY ACCOMMODATE ACFT NAVIGATION EQUIP THAT ALLOWS ACFT TO MAKE EARLY TURNS AT THEIR POINTS OF NAVIGATION. THIS SECTOR IS TOO BUSY AND COMPLEX FOR SUCH SITS. CTLRS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO INSTRUCT EVERY PLT OF AIRBUS MODEL ACFT ON FREQUENCY, TO OVER-FLY THE FIXES LISTED IN THEIR FLT PLANS. IT CONSUMES TOO MUCH TIME AND IS DISTRACTING. LOS ANGELES ARTCC IS CURRENTLY SEEKING METHODS TO REDUCE COMPLEXITY AND ENHANCE SAFETY FOR OUR AIR TRAFFIC OPS. CTLRS ARE AWARE OF THIS SIT WITH AIRBUS ACFT AND HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND IT FOR SEVERAL YRS NOW. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS INVOLVING AIRBUS EARLY TURNS AND WE SHOULDN'T BE COMPLACENT WAITING FOR THE INEVITABLE OP ERROR TO OCCUR. AIRBUS ACFT SHOULD OVER-FLY THE FIXES FILED BY ITS PLTS IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER RNAV ACFT. CTLRS SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE A SECTOR WITH REASONABLE ASSURANCE THAT ACFT WILL NAVIGATE VIA THE FIXES FILED IN THEIR FLT PLANS AND NOT MAKE UNEXPECTED MANEUVERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE RPTR HAS THIS PROB WITH ONLY AIRBUS ACFT. IT HAS NOT BEEN A PROB WITH OTHER FMS (CODE E) AND GPS (CODE G) ACFT. HE CLAIMS IT IS AND ONGOING PROB THAT COMPLICATES MAINTAINING SEPARATION.
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.