Medium large transport saw widebody transport in climb pass overhead and felt it was poor ATC techni...

Attributes
ACN	94994
Time
Date	198809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jhw
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	94994
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 2000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On climb between crl-jhw (dtw-bdl trip) we were passed by widebody transport X directly above, EST 2000' overhead apparently also in climb. We were cleared to FL330. Widebody transport X was almost certainly below FL330 when he passed over. ATC should not make assumption that faster aircraft will be able to maintain sep in climb by virtue of difference in aircraft performance. Any event which would cause degradation of performance of overtaking aircraft or make continued climb inadvisable would cause high probability of potentially disastrous conflict. In such a situation overtaking crew may be too busy to communication with ATC immediately. It is even more likely that in today's high traffic environment with attendant frequency congestion, crew would be unable to immediately communication with ATC overtaking crew may have been unaware of our presence below. We were not informed of presence of widebody transport X climbing above. What we have essentially here is 2 aircraft cleared to use same airspace at the same time with ATC providing no true sep under its known IFR traffic sep mandate!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG SAW WDB IN CLIMB PASS OVERHEAD AND FELT IT WAS POOR ATC TECHNIQUE.

Narrative: ON CLB BTWN CRL-JHW (DTW-BDL TRIP) WE WERE PASSED BY WDB X DIRECTLY ABOVE, EST 2000' OVERHEAD APPARENTLY ALSO IN CLB. WE WERE CLRED TO FL330. WDB X WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY BELOW FL330 WHEN HE PASSED OVER. ATC SHOULD NOT MAKE ASSUMPTION THAT FASTER ACFT WILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN SEP IN CLIMB BY VIRTUE OF DIFFERENCE IN ACFT PERFORMANCE. ANY EVENT WHICH WOULD CAUSE DEGRADATION OF PERFORMANCE OF OVERTAKING ACFT OR MAKE CONTINUED CLB INADVISABLE WOULD CAUSE HIGH PROBABILITY OF POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS CONFLICT. IN SUCH A SITUATION OVERTAKING CREW MAY BE TOO BUSY TO COM WITH ATC IMMEDIATELY. IT IS EVEN MORE LIKELY THAT IN TODAY'S HIGH TFC ENVIRONMENT WITH ATTENDANT FREQ CONGESTION, CREW WOULD BE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY COM WITH ATC OVERTAKING CREW MAY HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF OUR PRESENCE BELOW. WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF PRESENCE OF WDB X CLBING ABOVE. WHAT WE HAVE ESSENTIALLY HERE IS 2 ACFT CLRED TO USE SAME AIRSPACE AT THE SAME TIME WITH ATC PROVIDING NO TRUE SEP UNDER ITS KNOWN IFR TFC SEP MANDATE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Medium large transport saw widebody transport in climb pass overhead and felt it was poor ATC technique.