A B737-200 first officer reported that ZME was concerned with slight track deviations the aircraft made, as well as the lost communication for 80 NM, while flying at FL310.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	611332
Time
Date	200403
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mei.vortac
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	611332
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

At FL310, we received an ACARS message from company asking us to contact ZME. We checked in and we were told to identify. We did as instructed. ATC acknowledged our check-in and asked us to identify again. Again, we idented, and this was followed by another request to identify. Captain asked if there was a problem. The controller said that we had been no-communication for 80 mi and said that the aircraft had made several slight turns. Captain informed him that we had not received a handoff and the aircraft was tracking the radial and making the turn over the VOR. We assumed they did not realize we were 'slant alpha,' and continued to fly. The controller then asked whether the cockpit door was secure. We informed him that it was. The controller said that phone calls had been made. Both the captain and myself assumed that this had generated the ACARS message. This is not the first incident within this radar sector. A similar event happened in mar/04. The controller told us it had been a long day. I also believe that the controllers have become complacent with most aircraft being RNAV equipped. I have been cleared to intxns repeatedly without the equipment to comply. The B737-200 is the only slant alpha equipped aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 FO RPTED THAT ZME WAS CONCERNED WITH SLIGHT TRACK DEVS THE ACFT MADE, AS WELL AS THE LOST COM FOR 80 NM, WHILE FLYING AT FL310.

Narrative: AT FL310, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM COMPANY ASKING US TO CONTACT ZME. WE CHKED IN AND WE WERE TOLD TO IDENT. WE DID AS INSTRUCTED. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK-IN AND ASKED US TO IDENT AGAIN. AGAIN, WE IDENTED, AND THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER REQUEST TO IDENT. CAPT ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN NO-COM FOR 80 MI AND SAID THAT THE ACFT HAD MADE SEVERAL SLIGHT TURNS. CAPT INFORMED HIM THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED A HDOF AND THE ACFT WAS TRACKING THE RADIAL AND MAKING THE TURN OVER THE VOR. WE ASSUMED THEY DID NOT REALIZE WE WERE 'SLANT ALPHA,' AND CONTINUED TO FLY. THE CTLR THEN ASKED WHETHER THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS SECURE. WE INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS. THE CTLR SAID THAT PHONE CALLS HAD BEEN MADE. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF ASSUMED THAT THIS HAD GENERATED THE ACARS MESSAGE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT WITHIN THIS RADAR SECTOR. A SIMILAR EVENT HAPPENED IN MAR/04. THE CTLR TOLD US IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CTLRS HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT WITH MOST ACFT BEING RNAV EQUIPPED. I HAVE BEEN CLRED TO INTXNS REPEATEDLY WITHOUT THE EQUIP TO COMPLY. THE B737-200 IS THE ONLY SLANT ALPHA EQUIPPED ACFT.

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.