CPR TURBOJET PIC QUESTIONS ZFW'S COM WITH HIMSELF ABOUT OTHER POTENTIAL CONFLICTING TFC.

Date: 2001-08 · Aircraft: Citation X (C750) · Phase: descent

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

CPR TURBOJET PIC QUESTIONS ZFW'S COM WITH HIMSELF ABOUT OTHER POTENTIAL CONFLICTING TFC.

Narrative

APPROX XA10 LCL; 40 NM E OF GLE AT FL240; ZFW (134.15) CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT WITH 'A GOOD RATE.' I INITIATED DSCNT AT 3400 FPM. APPROX 1 MIN INTO DSCNT; ZFW ASKS 'ACR X HOW DO YOU READ CTR?' PNF RESPONDED 'LOUD AND CLR.' 20 SECONDS LATER; CTR XMITS 'ACFT X IF YOU READ CTR; IDENT.' WE IDENTED AND ANOTHER ACFT XMITTED THAT HE HEARD US RESPOND TO THE FIRST CTR INQUIRY. CREW NOTICED A POSSIBLE CONFLICT ON TCASII AND WAS ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL PROB WHEN CTR CALLS AND SAYS THAT WE WERE 'LAST CLRED TO 16000 FT.' A CLRNC THAT WE NEVER RECEIVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. CTR TOLD US TO STOP DSCNT IMMEDIATELY; THAT WE HAVE TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND HE STOPPED OTHER ACFT'S CLB AT 13000 FT AS WE LEVELED AT 14000 FT. AFTER PASSING TFC; WE WERE RECLRED TO 4000 FT. I BELIEVE THIS CTLR; AFTER CLRING US TO 4000 FT; WAS ALERTED ON ANOTHER COMS MODE OF CONFLICTING TFC. HE THEN TRIED TO CALL US BUT HAD NOT SWITCHED TO XMIT ON 134.15. WHEN HE FINALLY DID XMIT ON 134.15 HE WASN'T LISTENING TO 134.15 AND COULD NOT HEAR OUR RESPONSE. EITHER THAT OR SOMEONE ELSE BLOCKED THE CTLR'S XMISSION AND OUR XMISSIONS BACK TO HIM. THIS IS UNLIKELY SINCE ANOTHER ACFT SAID THEY HEARD US FINE. CTLRS ARE WORKING TOO MANY ACFT. FREQ CONGESTION IS MAKING IT HARD TO COMMUNICATE. CTLRS ARE ISSUING CLRNCS THAT INCREASE COCKPIT WORKLOAD AND CONTRIBUTE TO CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT SUCH AS: ACFT IN CLB RECEIVES CLRNC 'YOU'RE CLRED DIRECT TO MOL AFTER FL330.' IN BUSY COCKPIT; THAT CLRNC PROVIDES FOR A CHANCE OF CONFUSION. THAT CLRNC; AND OTHERS LIKE IT; REDUCE THE LOAD ON THE OVERLOADED CTLR BUT INCREASE THE LOAD ON THE FLC WHICH CAN CAUSE PROBS. CTLRS INCREASE THE STRESS LEVEL AND RAISE THE POTENTIAL FOR PROBS IN THE COCKPIT WHEN THEY ACT AS IF THE PLT MESSED UP WHEN THE CTLR IN FACT MESSED UP.

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