RPTED LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN RPTR'S MD11 DSNDING TO 6000 FT AND ANOTHER ACR AT 6000 FT.

Date: 1997-11 · Aircraft: MD-11

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

RPTED LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN RPTR'S MD11 DSNDING TO 6000 FT AND ANOTHER ACR AT 6000 FT.

Narrative

HOLDING INBOUND TO TOKYO'S NARITA ARPT AT ARIES INTXN AT 8000 FT. INBOUND COURSE IS 258 DEGS L TURNS; 7 MI LEG. AFTER TURNING INBOUND WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CONTINUE OUR TURN TO HDG 160 DEGS AND DSND TO 6000 FT. A FLT BELOW US HAD A PREVIOUS CLRNC TO DEPART ARIES ON A HDG OF 160 DEGS AND WAS AT 6000 FT. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 160 DEG HDG AND DSNDED BELOW 6500 FT; WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA ALERT AND REALIZED THAT THE OTHER FLT WAS NOW CLOSELY IN TRAIL AND TRACKING PARALLEL TO US. WE LEVELED OFF AT 6200 FT WITH A -200 INDICATED ON THE TA ALERT. THE OTHER FLT WAS LESS THAN 1 MI TO OUR 4-5 O'CLOCK POS. ATC WAS ADVISED AND THE OTHER FLT WAS DIRECTED TO TURN R TO A HDG W OF OUR TRACK. THE COPLT COULD SEE IT OVER HIS SHOULDER AND THE FLC ACKNOWLEDGED SEEING US. APPARENTLY ATC MISJUDGED THE RESULT OF THE 2 DIFFERENT CLRNCS GIVEN EACH FLT. MY CONCERN IS WHY WE NEVER GOT A TCASII RA ALERT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE WITHIN 200 FT ALT AND LESS THAN 1 MI PROX TO THE OTHER ACFT. OUR TCASII HAD TESTED OK AND WE WERE GETTING ALT INFO FROM THE OTHER ACFT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.