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B737-700 with mci at FL410 experienced TCAS RA with opposite direction traffic requiring evasive turn to avoid.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 676291 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200511 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : irk.vortac |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 41000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc.artcc |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 6500 |
| ASRS Report | 676291 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 208 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 3779 |
| ASRS Report | 676293 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
We were level at FL410 approximately 225 mi southwest of irk when we received an RA advising us of traffic also at FL410 (wrong direction) in our 1-2 O'clock position moving in the opposite direction. Our TCAS said 'traffic; traffic; climb; climb' as the first officer and I attempted to visually acquire the other aircraft outside. However; we were already at our maximum altitude ceiling and we had idented the aircraft on the TCAS and by that time I was rolling into a 20-30 degree banked left turn and the other aircraft was passing off of our right side. I'm not sure of the lateral distance between ourselves and the other plane because it all happened very suddenly; but it seemed very close. The first officer notified ATC of our turn to the left and the fact that we had just gotten an RA. The controller responded by telling us to turn 30 degrees to the left; which I was already in the process of doing by that point. We never had any information from the controller about an aircraft at our altitude prior to the RA. Obviously this was a case of human error and luckily our TCAS alerted us to a potential disaster although not quite as early as we would have liked. A contributing factor would have to be the fact that the other aircraft was at an altitude that is very wrong for his direction of flight. WX and traffic volume did not seem to be factors because it was a very clear night and seemed to be rather quiet without a lot of traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-700 WITH MCI AT FL410 EXPERIENCED TCAS RA WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC REQUIRING EVASIVE TURN TO AVOID.
Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL410 APPROX 225 MI SW OF IRK WHEN WE RECEIVED AN RA ADVISING US OF TFC ALSO AT FL410 (WRONG DIRECTION) IN OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. OUR TCAS SAID 'TFC; TFC; CLB; CLB' AS THE FO AND I ATTEMPTED TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE OTHER ACFT OUTSIDE. HOWEVER; WE WERE ALREADY AT OUR MAX ALT CEILING AND WE HAD IDENTED THE ACFT ON THE TCAS AND BY THAT TIME I WAS ROLLING INTO A 20-30 DEG BANKED L TURN AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS PASSING OFF OF OUR R SIDE. I'M NOT SURE OF THE LATERAL DISTANCE BTWN OURSELVES AND THE OTHER PLANE BECAUSE IT ALL HAPPENED VERY SUDDENLY; BUT IT SEEMED VERY CLOSE. THE FO NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR TURN TO THE L AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD JUST GOTTEN AN RA. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY TELLING US TO TURN 30 DEGS TO THE L; WHICH I WAS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING BY THAT POINT. WE NEVER HAD ANY INFO FROM THE CTLR ABOUT AN ACFT AT OUR ALT PRIOR TO THE RA. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A CASE OF HUMAN ERROR AND LUCKILY OUR TCAS ALERTED US TO A POTENTIAL DISASTER ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE AS EARLY AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE THE FACT THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS AT AN ALT THAT IS VERY WRONG FOR HIS DIRECTION OF FLT. WX AND TFC VOLUME DID NOT SEEM TO BE FACTORS BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY CLR NIGHT AND SEEMED TO BE RATHER QUIET WITHOUT A LOT OF TFC.
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.