IFR C340 DEP FROM FUL CANCELED IFR WITH SCT; WAS ISSUED A320 ACR TFC INTO SNA; ACCEPTED VISUAL SEPARATION; AND THEN CONFLICTED WITH THE ACR.
Synopsis
IFR C340 DEP FROM FUL CANCELED IFR WITH SCT; WAS ISSUED A320 ACR TFC INTO SNA; ACCEPTED VISUAL SEPARATION; AND THEN CONFLICTED WITH THE ACR.
Narrative
INCIDENT IS LIKELY A COMBINATION OF POOR COMS AND COMBINATION OF A HARD-TO-JUDGE SITUATION IN VFR IN SNA APCH CORRIDOR. ATP AND B737 RATED RPTR DEPARTED FUL TO UDD ON IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS. DEP WAS CONTACTED; HDGS AND ALTS ASSIGNED. AS ASSIGNED RTE VIA TRM WOULD HAVE LED THROUGH AREA OF TWX APPROX 30 NM DOWN; IFR WAS CANCELED AFTER FEW MINS WITH APCH AND VFR DIRECT PDZ CLBING TO INITIALLY 6500 FT REQUESTED AND PLT NAV WITHOUT RESTRS OBTAINED. UPON PASSING 3000 FT; TFC CALLS FOR 2 AIRLINERS RECEIVED; VISUAL CONTACT ESTABLISHED; AND VISUAL SEPARATION OF SEVERAL MI MAINTAINED WITHOUT PROB. A THIRD TA WAS ISSUED AROUND 500 FT; AN A320 ABOUT 7 MI AT 10 'FOR THE ARPT.' AT THIS POINT; THE A320 WAS IN A TURN; BUT LACKING EFIS OR A DETAILED MOVING MAP IN MY AIRPLANE AND NOT KNOWING OF THE TRUE TARGET ARPT; I WAS UNAWARE OF ITS INTENDED ROLLOUT HDG; AND THE SITUATION LOOKED WELL SEPARATED. KEEPING AN EYE ON THE A320 AT ALL TIMES; THROUGH POS #2 AND #3 IT BECAME CLR THAT THIS IS DEVELOPING INTO A CONVERGING SITUATION; AND I DECIDED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND A R EVASIVE TURN; LEADING TO THE A320 PASSING BEHIND ME ABOUT 500 FT BELOW AND APPROX 2 SM AWAY. I ADVISED THAT I WAS CLR AND VISUAL SEPARATION MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES. THE A320 AND THE CTLR THEN ASSURED EACH OTHER THAT THEY FELT THAT I DID NOT PROPERLY AVOID THE A320 (SOME TACTICAL NECESSITY TO COVER THEIR POS; I ASSUME); AMPLIFIED BY THE FACT THAT THE NEXT CTLR MADE SURE THAT I AFFIRMED THAT IFR WAS CANCELED WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR (WHICH PROBABLY AGAIN VOIDS THE NECESSITY FOR A NEAR MISS RPT). LESSONS: 1) CANCELLATION OF IFR IN WKEND RUSH HR IN VICINITY OF BUSY APCH PATH WAS A BAD IDEA. CTLR ON HIS SIDE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED CANCELLATION; IF UNABLE TO WORK IT. HE IS AWARE OF WHAT IS COMING DOWN THE APCH CORRIDOR; AND SHOULD HAVE ISSUED ALT OR HDG RESTRS; OR; LATER ON; RA'S. 2) 'FOR THE ARPT' IS NOT A CLR ASSIGNMENT THAT LET ONE JUDGE WHERE AN AIRPLANE IN A TURN IS GOING TO ROLL OUT. A SPECIFIC ARPT (OK) OR A ROLLOUT HDG (BETTER) OR AN RA (BEST; WHICH IN THIS CASE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EARLY L TURN) SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED. I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED THAT 'FOR THE ARPT' CALL AND VERIFIED WHAT THE A320'S INTENTIONS ARE. 3) I AM CONFUSED ABOUT THE COLLEAGUE IN THE A320 (I RECEIVED B737 ACR ALSO) WHO MUST HAVE HAD ME BOTH VISUALLY AND ON THE TCAS; AND KEPT TURNING DEAD ON INTO A TARGET. VISUAL SEPARATION IS BOTH PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY; IRRESPECTIVE OF IFR FLT PLAN OR CTLR; IN PARTICULAR IF ONE IS MANEUVERING AND HAS ALL THE TCAS AT HIS DISPOSAL.
More incidents for this aircraft family →
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.