 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An unmanned aerial vehicle being operated in restr airspace below 2000 ft is climbed through the altitude to 2500 ft resulting in a conflict with an E145 at 3000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 707636 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200608 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : nun.vor |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : nfj.tower |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 3 controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 14 |
| ASRS Report | 707636 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 450 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was working as controller in charge when nfj tower called to coordination unmanned aerial vehicle maneuvers in nfj class D airspace. Currently; nfj class D airspace 2000 ft and above is retained by P31 due to a closed runway at pns. I told the nfj tower operator that uav operations were not a problem so long as they remained below 2000 ft. The east radar controller asked me to come to the scope. I observed a target squawking XXXX; the normal transponder code for the uav; at 2500 ft; in conflict alert status with air carrier X; an air carrier; at 3000 ft overhead njf en route to pns. The pilot of air carrier X reported to the east radar controller that he was responding to a TCAS RA and climbing. Air carrier X climbed to 3400 ft and then resumed descent for pns when the conflict was cleared. I called nfj tower and told them the uav was supposed to be below 2000 ft. They rogered; then descended the uav to 1500 ft. Then they climbed the uav back to 2500 ft. Shortly after; I observed the uav entering eglin AFB restr area R2915A. The pioneer uav is about the size of a small go-kart with kings. They are painted gray. The likelihood of a pilot acquiring these uav's visually in enough time to take evasive maneuvers is small to nil.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE BEING OPERATED IN RESTR AIRSPACE BELOW 2000 FT IS CLBED THROUGH THE ALT TO 2500 FT RESULTING IN A CONFLICT WITH AN E145 AT 3000 FT.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS CIC WHEN NFJ TWR CALLED TO COORD UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE MANEUVERS IN NFJ CLASS D AIRSPACE. CURRENTLY; NFJ CLASS D AIRSPACE 2000 FT AND ABOVE IS RETAINED BY P31 DUE TO A CLOSED RWY AT PNS. I TOLD THE NFJ TWR OPERATOR THAT UAV OPS WERE NOT A PROB SO LONG AS THEY REMAINED BELOW 2000 FT. THE E RADAR CTLR ASKED ME TO COME TO THE SCOPE. I OBSERVED A TARGET SQUAWKING XXXX; THE NORMAL XPONDER CODE FOR THE UAV; AT 2500 FT; IN CONFLICT ALERT STATUS WITH ACR X; AN ACR; AT 3000 FT OVERHEAD NJF ENRTE TO PNS. THE PLT OF ACR X RPTED TO THE E RADAR CTLR THAT HE WAS RESPONDING TO A TCAS RA AND CLBING. ACR X CLBED TO 3400 FT AND THEN RESUMED DSCNT FOR PNS WHEN THE CONFLICT WAS CLRED. I CALLED NFJ TWR AND TOLD THEM THE UAV WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BELOW 2000 FT. THEY ROGERED; THEN DSNDED THE UAV TO 1500 FT. THEN THEY CLBED THE UAV BACK TO 2500 FT. SHORTLY AFTER; I OBSERVED THE UAV ENTERING EGLIN AFB RESTR AREA R2915A. THE PIONEER UAV IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SMALL GO-KART WITH KINGS. THEY ARE PAINTED GRAY. THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PLT ACQUIRING THESE UAV'S VISUALLY IN ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE EVASIVE MANEUVERS IS SMALL TO NIL.
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.