Airprox between CRX3009 and HB-FKT near Ecuvillens

Incident Overview On 16 March 2002, an airprox occurred between CRX3009, an Airbus 320 operating a scheduled flight from Geneva to Zürich, and HB-FKT, a Pilatus Porter PC6T conducting a VFR flight for skydiving operations over Ecuvillens. The event took place in the airspace between KORED and SOSAL (Ecuvillens) under the responsibility of the ACC Genf. ## Sequence of Events HB-FKT departed Ecuvillens at approximately 09:50 UTC for a commercial skydiving flight. The aircraft had not filed a flight plan, and no NOTAM had been issued for the operation. The pilot contacted the DELTA sector in Class E airspace while climbing at 4,000 ft and requested permission to climb to FL 150. The DELTA controller coordinated with the INE radar coordinator by telephone, using the phrase “Deuxième yo-yo, le FOX KILO TANGO sur Ecuvillens, pour le cent cinquante.” The INE coordinator acknowledged with “Okay.” The DELTA controller then cleared HB-FKT to climb to FL 150. At the time, the INE radar controller did not yet have the control strip for CRX3009 active. CRX3009, an Airbus 320 registered HB-IJA, had departed Geneva at 09:52 UTC on route K1J and was climbing to FL 140. A personnel change occurred at the INE coordinator position shortly after the coordination. ## Conflict and Resolution At 10:02:53 UTC, a Short Term Conflict Alert (STCA) was triggered when the aircraft were 6.4 NM apart with a vertical separation of –700 ft. The INE radar controller issued essential traffic information to CRX3009, assuming that the DELTA controller had ensured at least 1,000 ft separation. HB-FKT was then at FL 133, climbing on a course intersecting the Airbus route. Following the STCA, the DELTA controller instructed HB-FKT to turn right and then to maintain FL 135 on a southeasterly heading. The Airbus pilot received a TCAS Resolution Advisory to climb and climbed to FL 147. The two aircraft crossed at approximately 0 NM horizontal separation and –600 ft vertical separation, with the PC6T passing about 300 ft below the Airbus. Both pilots reported visual contact after the crossing. CRX3009 subsequently descended back to FL 140, and the pilot filed an ATIR report.