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Air carrier-medium large transport on departure climb conflicting with air carrier-medium large transport on converging course resulting in less than standard separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 95428 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198810 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7300 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9950 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 95428 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
On climb out from runway 1L at dulles, departure control cleared us during climb to maintain 10000'. At 7200' departure control said to maintain 7000' and asked our altitude. I responded 7200', and callback was traffic at 11 O'clock, 4 mi, medium large transport Y at 8000', turn left to 270 degrees heading, maintain 7000'. I responded with immediate aircraft pushover at 7300' to descend back to 7000' and a turn to 270 degrees as we (first officer and I) had the traffic in sight. ATC did not have our altitude reporting and during this I switched transponders to #2, which later confirmed proper altitude readout. #1 transponder was apparently inoperative. I then let the first officer resume control of the aircraft. Our flight then was cleared on course. I was wondering why ATC never said anything on our altitude during initial climb out, but after this I did not question them. The immediate level off was readily apparent to the passenger, but in my opinion there was not a near hit situation as medium large transport Y was ahead of us passing left to right and our altitude was 700' lower and at least 2 1/2 mi horizontal. I have been through dulles area infrequently, but I feel the controllers there are not very sharp and alert sometimes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR-MLG ON DEP CLIMB CONFLICTING WITH ACR-MLG ON CONVERGING COURSE RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM RWY 1L AT DULLES, DEP CTL CLRED US DURING CLB TO MAINTAIN 10000'. AT 7200' DEP CTL SAID TO MAINTAIN 7000' AND ASKED OUR ALT. I RESPONDED 7200', AND CALLBACK WAS TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, 4 MI, MLG Y AT 8000', TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS HDG, MAINTAIN 7000'. I RESPONDED WITH IMMEDIATE ACFT PUSHOVER AT 7300' TO DSND BACK TO 7000' AND A TURN TO 270 DEGS AS WE (F/O AND I) HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. ATC DID NOT HAVE OUR ALT RPTING AND DURING THIS I SWITCHED TRANSPONDERS TO #2, WHICH LATER CONFIRMED PROPER ALT READOUT. #1 TRANSPONDER WAS APPARENTLY INOP. I THEN LET THE F/O RESUME CTL OF THE ACFT. OUR FLT THEN WAS CLRED ON COURSE. I WAS WONDERING WHY ATC NEVER SAID ANYTHING ON OUR ALT DURING INITIAL CLBOUT, BUT AFTER THIS I DID NOT QUESTION THEM. THE IMMEDIATE LEVEL OFF WAS READILY APPARENT TO THE PAX, BUT IN MY OPINION THERE WAS NOT A NEAR HIT SITUATION AS MLG Y WAS AHEAD OF US PASSING LEFT TO RIGHT AND OUR ALT WAS 700' LOWER AND AT LEAST 2 1/2 MI HORIZ. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH DULLES AREA INFREQUENTLY, BUT I FEEL THE CTLRS THERE ARE NOT VERY SHARP AND ALERT SOMETIMES.
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.