Narrative:

Flight plan gave UG437(R43) at FL330-350. Gye clearance gave FL320. Requested FL350. Given. Was in east hemisphere for fl. Just south of tbg pty ATC told me to turn right 10 degrees and descend to FL340 immediately. Reason was oncoming southbound traffic at FL350. TCAS activated in turn and descent. Asked by pty who gave us FL350. Told gye. Pty did accept us at their fir at FL350. Turns out that UG437 is noted to have opposite flight levels which was not caught by any concerned until possible conflict. Very un-standard procedures on this jetway. First officer caught the problem and obscure jetway note. I understand that it is my ultimate responsibility to catch any differences; but I relied on computer flight planning. I immediately notified ATC via ACARS. I suggest that this route be removed from system and replaced with route 14. Reported incident to the chief pilot and the AC manager. Point is that I flew all the way to pty airspace against the grain and no one caught the mistake until conflict showed up. This is a potential dangerous situation that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that along UG437 the chart symbol 'east>' near the route number was the only indication of altitude/direction constraints. The crew had not seen that symbol even after flying the route for 10+ yrs. The reporter suggested that the symbology be more visible and printed more frequently with text or other means. The reporter is concerned that since he; his crew; and their dispatcher missed the implications of the constraint; that a worst case scenario could occur since ATC also did not catch the conflict until very late in their approach to one another.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300-600 CREW ON UG437 WAS ISSUED AN ALT AND HDG CHANGE CONCURRENT WITH A TCAS WARNING AFTER ENCOUNTERING OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WHICH WAS AT THE INCORRECT ALT FOR AIRWAY DIRECTION.

Narrative: FLT PLAN GAVE UG437(R43) AT FL330-350. GYE CLRNC GAVE FL320. REQUESTED FL350. GIVEN. WAS IN E HEMISPHERE FOR FL. JUST S OF TBG PTY ATC TOLD ME TO TURN R 10 DEGS AND DSND TO FL340 IMMEDIATELY. REASON WAS ONCOMING SBND TFC AT FL350. TCAS ACTIVATED IN TURN AND DSCNT. ASKED BY PTY WHO GAVE US FL350. TOLD GYE. PTY DID ACCEPT US AT THEIR FIR AT FL350. TURNS OUT THAT UG437 IS NOTED TO HAVE OPPOSITE FLT LEVELS WHICH WAS NOT CAUGHT BY ANY CONCERNED UNTIL POSSIBLE CONFLICT. VERY UN-STANDARD PROCS ON THIS JETWAY. FO CAUGHT THE PROB AND OBSCURE JETWAY NOTE. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS MY ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY TO CATCH ANY DIFFERENCES; BUT I RELIED ON COMPUTER FLT PLANNING. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ATC VIA ACARS. I SUGGEST THAT THIS RTE BE REMOVED FROM SYSTEM AND REPLACED WITH RTE 14. RPTED INCIDENT TO THE CHIEF PLT AND THE AC MGR. POINT IS THAT I FLEW ALL THE WAY TO PTY AIRSPACE AGAINST THE GRAIN AND NO ONE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE UNTIL CONFLICT SHOWED UP. THIS IS A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SIT THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT ALONG UG437 THE CHART SYMBOL 'E>' NEAR THE RTE NUMBER WAS THE ONLY INDICATION OF ALT/DIRECTION CONSTRAINTS. THE CREW HAD NOT SEEN THAT SYMBOL EVEN AFTER FLYING THE RTE FOR 10+ YRS. THE RPTR SUGGESTED THAT THE SYMBOLOGY BE MORE VISIBLE AND PRINTED MORE FREQUENTLY WITH TEXT OR OTHER MEANS. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT SINCE HE; HIS CREW; AND THEIR DISPATCHER MISSED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CONSTRAINT; THAT A WORST CASE SCENARIO COULD OCCUR SINCE ATC ALSO DID NOT CATCH THE CONFLICT UNTIL VERY LATE IN THEIR APCH TO ONE ANOTHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.