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Potential conflict occurs when a B727 flight crew climbs above their assigned altitude of FL290 towards that of another crossing air carrier flight at FL310 while 60 NM northeast of gso, nc.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 575328 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200303 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gso.airport |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc tower : fat.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 575328 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was the flight engineer on a flight between ric and atl. During step-up climb out, the first officer was flying and the captain handling the radios. After FL180, I was doing some paperwork and listening up on the radio. We were level at FL260 and cleared to FL280 and then FL290 before reaching FL280. Shortly after passing FL285, I shifted my attention totally up front and saw that FL310 was set in the altitude alert system. I thought our last clearance was FL290 but assumed I had missed something. I was just about to say something when ATC asked what our altitude was. The captain waved his hand to level off, which the first officer did. Right away ATC said to 'go ahead and continue to FL310.' a contributing factor I believe is the location of the altitude alerter selector on the forward r-hand side of the center pedestal. I believe glare shield models are much better. The human factors, I believe were that I didn't speak up instantly when I noticed FL310 set in since I was thinking we were cleared to FL290. The other human factor was the breakdown of the readback, set and point to and confirm the clearance altitude is correctly set in the altitude alert system.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OCCURS WHEN A B727 FLT CREW CLBS ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL290 TOWARDS THAT OF ANOTHER XING ACR FLT AT FL310 WHILE 60 NM NE OF GSO, NC.
Narrative: I WAS THE FE ON A FLT BTWN RIC AND ATL. DURING STEP-UP CLBOUT, THE FO WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT HANDLING THE RADIOS. AFTER FL180, I WAS DOING SOME PAPERWORK AND LISTENING UP ON THE RADIO. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL260 AND CLRED TO FL280 AND THEN FL290 BEFORE REACHING FL280. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING FL285, I SHIFTED MY ATTN TOTALLY UP FRONT AND SAW THAT FL310 WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERT SYS. I THOUGHT OUR LAST CLRNC WAS FL290 BUT ASSUMED I HAD MISSED SOMETHING. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING WHEN ATC ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS. THE CAPT WAVED HIS HAND TO LEVEL OFF, WHICH THE FO DID. RIGHT AWAY ATC SAID TO 'GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO FL310.' A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR I BELIEVE IS THE LOCATION OF THE ALT ALERTER SELECTOR ON THE FORWARD R-HAND SIDE OF THE CTR PEDESTAL. I BELIEVE GLARE SHIELD MODELS ARE MUCH BETTER. THE HUMAN FACTORS, I BELIEVE WERE THAT I DIDN'T SPEAK UP INSTANTLY WHEN I NOTICED FL310 SET IN SINCE I WAS THINKING WE WERE CLRED TO FL290. THE OTHER HUMAN FACTOR WAS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE READBACK, SET AND POINT TO AND CONFIRM THE CLRNC ALT IS CORRECTLY SET IN THE ALT ALERT SYS.
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.