FLC OF AN AIRBUS 320 CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ARR ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA CAUSED BY A LEAR JET CLBING THROUGH THEIR ALT.

Date: 1999-10 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: descent

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude

Synopsis

FLC OF AN AIRBUS 320 CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ARR ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA CAUSED BY A LEAR JET CLBING THROUGH THEIR ALT.

Narrative

ZOA ATC HAD VECTORED US N OF SWR VOR ON THE FLUNK 3 ARR INTO SMF. ATC THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO FLUNK; DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH 17000 FT; ATC ADVISED US OF EBOUND LEARJET TFC AT APPROX 1 O'CLOCK POS; 10 NM AT 15000 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN A VISUAL ON THE TFC; HOWEVER; THE LEAR SAID HE HAD US IN SIGHT. ZOA GAVE THE LEAR CLB CLRNC TO FL210 AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM US. THE LEAR INITIATED A CLB BUT DID NOT INITIATE MUCH OF A TURN AWAY FROM US AND PASSED WITHIN 100 FT VERT AND EASILY LESS THAN 1 MI HORIZ FROM US AS WE LEVELED AT 16000 FT. THIS SET OFF OUR TCASII RA TO 'CLB NOW.' SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THE LEAR IN SIGHT; WE WERE FORCED TO COMPLY WITH THE RA. UPON REACHING APPROX 16700 FT; WE RECEIVED A TCASII 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 16000 FT. ALTHOUGH THE LEAR HAD US IN SIGHT; I FIND IT TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE ON HIS PART AS WELL AS ZOA'S TO HAVE ALLOWED THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT TO HAPPEN. A SLIGHT VECTOR FOR THE LEAR OR A 30 SECOND DELAY IN HIS CLB CLRNC COULD HAVE PRECLUDED THIS.

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