A DC10 FLT CREW RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT WHILE APCHING ATL. FLT CREW CONCERNED WITH APCH TFC VOLUME AND CONGESTION.

Date: 2004-05 · Aircraft: DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

A DC10 FLT CREW RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT WHILE APCHING ATL. FLT CREW CONCERNED WITH APCH TFC VOLUME AND CONGESTION.

Narrative

OUR ACFT WAS ON THE RMG2 ARR INTO ATL; PROCEEDING DIRECT TO ATL AT THE TIME. TFC CONGESTION WAS EXTREMELY HVY; WITH NUMEROUS PROXIMATE TARGETS SHOWN ON THE TCASII DISPLAY. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A DSCNT AND HAD LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT IN PREPARATION FOR FURTHER DSCNT/APCH TO ATL RWY 26R. COMS CHATTER WAS HVY. WE HEARD THE APCH CTLR CALL US ONCE; BUT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE HIM HEAR OUR REPLY XMISSION (PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF BEING STEPPED ON BY OTHER ACFT). OUR TCASII SYS ACTIVATED WITH THE 'TFC;' CALLOUT. WE WERE SEARCHING FOR THE TARGET ACFT. WHEN WE FINALLY ESTABLISHED COMS WITH THE CTLR; HE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS HIS THIRD ATTEMPT TO CONTACT US. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO FLY; AND COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTION. AT ABOUT THAT TIME; TCASII ANNOUNCED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND INDICATED FOR US TO MAINTAIN OUR ALT AND NOT TO DSND. WE NOTED AN MD80 PASSING WELL OFF OUR L WING AND TCASII INDICATED THE ACFT WAS 600 FT BELOW US. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT; TCASII ANNOUNCED 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THERE WAS NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN BY EITHER ACFT; AND IT APPEARED THAT BOTH ACFT COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I BELIEVE THAT MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD BE FOUND INCLUDING TYPICAL ATL ARPT CONGESTION; RAPID CTLR INSTRUCTIONS; POOR COMS DISCIPLINE BY PLTS (STEPPING ON EACH OTHER); ATL APCH/DEP PLANS (THE OPPOSING ACFT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN INSTRUCTION TO CLB TO 14000 FT UNTIL THE ARR ACFT IS ALT RESTR OR SEPARATED HORIZLY -- NOT MERELY 'EXPECTED TO BE' IN THIS OPERATING ENVIRONMENT).

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