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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Potential conflict occurs when a B757 flight responds incorrectly to a wrong call sign and climbs towards an altitude occupied by a crj, 50 mi northeast of ewr, nj.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 597961 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200310 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr.airport |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 597961 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 597552 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 11500 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Company Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Narrative:
RA was a direct result of accepting a clearance for another aircraft of similar call sign, Y versus X. Clearance of other aircraft was reasonable to us in both altitude and clearance fix. Conditions of day, VFR, and having conflicting traffic Z in sight, did not scare us, but may have delayed my query with ATC to confirm last clearance. Passing 16000 ft, our cleared altitude and converging with traffic Z I had first officer confirm altitude with ATC. We were climbing to company flight Y's altitude of 17000 ft. At 16300 ft the RA was issued. Autoplt disconnected and shallow descent made back to 16000 ft. ATC confirmed our assigned altitude as 16000 ft. I asked ZNY if there was an air carrier flight Y also on the frequency, they said yes. Then it was obvious to us what had happened. I thought for a moment I heard center say air carrier Y instead of air carrier X, but it must have been broken or garbled because I did not ask the copilot to confirm clearance readback right away. Supplemental information from acn 597552: we were also cleared to 16000 ft. Shortly after we were given a 320 degree heading for traffic. Traffic, an air carrier crj was sighted but not reported due to frequency congestion. Center informed us we were not cleared for 17000 ft and to return to 16000 ft and 320 degree heading. We learned after the fact that the call had been for company flight Y behind us, which we were unaware of up to that point.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OCCURS WHEN A B757 FLT RESPONDS INCORRECTLY TO A WRONG CALL SIGN AND CLBS TOWARDS AN ALT OCCUPIED BY A CRJ, 50 MI NE OF EWR, NJ.
Narrative: RA WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF ACCEPTING A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT OF SIMILAR CALL SIGN, Y VERSUS X. CLRNC OF OTHER ACFT WAS REASONABLE TO US IN BOTH ALT AND CLRNC FIX. CONDITIONS OF DAY, VFR, AND HAVING CONFLICTING TFC Z IN SIGHT, DID NOT SCARE US, BUT MAY HAVE DELAYED MY QUERY WITH ATC TO CONFIRM LAST CLRNC. PASSING 16000 FT, OUR CLRED ALT AND CONVERGING WITH TFC Z I HAD FO CONFIRM ALT WITH ATC. WE WERE CLBING TO COMPANY FLT Y'S ALT OF 17000 FT. AT 16300 FT THE RA WAS ISSUED. AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND SHALLOW DSCNT MADE BACK TO 16000 FT. ATC CONFIRMED OUR ASSIGNED ALT AS 16000 FT. I ASKED ZNY IF THERE WAS AN ACR FLT Y ALSO ON THE FREQ, THEY SAID YES. THEN IT WAS OBVIOUS TO US WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT I HEARD CTR SAY ACR Y INSTEAD OF ACR X, BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN BROKEN OR GARBLED BECAUSE I DID NOT ASK THE COPLT TO CONFIRM CLRNC READBACK RIGHT AWAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 597552: WE WERE ALSO CLRED TO 16000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE GIVEN A 320 DEG HDG FOR TFC. TFC, AN ACR CRJ WAS SIGHTED BUT NOT RPTED DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. CTR INFORMED US WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR 17000 FT AND TO RETURN TO 16000 FT AND 320 DEG HDG. WE LEARNED AFTER THE FACT THAT THE CALL HAD BEEN FOR COMPANY FLT Y BEHIND US, WHICH WE WERE UNAWARE OF UP TO THAT POINT.
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.