2009-12 · NASA ASRS report 863463
Pilots and ZOB controller describe conflict event when ATC attempted to provide required miles in trail for DTW; the flight crew reporters providing the cockpit perspective of the conflict.
I was working RAV-R during morning DTW push with 15 MIT to DTW. Air Carrier X was an overflight from East to West at FL 300. I took a handoff from I87 on 2 DTW arrivals Air Carrier Y at FL 290 and Air Carrier Z at FL300 that were stacked. I needed to get MIT on the aircraft so I turned Air Carrier Y to a 280 heading. I turned Air Carrier Z to a 050 heading to get the spacing that I needed. I went back to my other DTW spacing to get the 15 MIT on 3 other flights and overlooked that I had turned Air Carrier Z into Air Carrier X both at FL 300. When I came back to both aircraft I saw that they were in conflict about 1 second before the conflict alert went off. Before I could make a transmission Air Carrier Z stated he was responding to a TCAS alert and began climbing. I turned the Air Carrier X just before he began a TCAS maneuver in a decsent. When Air Carrier Z climbed for his TCAS resolution he climbed out of my stratum and into the LOR sector. I advised LOR sector that Air Carrier Z reacted to a TCAS Resolution. Recommendation; ZID was not required to give any MIT during this push. MIT from them would have helped since we have twt fix to space DTW arrivals.
Enroute to DTW on the Gemni 2 arrival Cleveland Center gave us a right turn approximately 90 degrees off course to a heading of 050. We had noticed what appeared to be a CRJ 1000 feet below us that we were closing on; so we believed the turn was for separation from that aircraft. Shortly after the turn I noticed a target at our altitude at about the 20 mile ring. It turned amber so I asked the controller if he had traffic for us. The controller seemed caught off guard and gave us a desent to FL290. He then gave the conflicting traffic a climb. Before the conflicting traffic could acknowledge his instructions; our TCAS commanded an RA with a >2000 FPM climb. The First Officer immediately disengaged the auto-pilot and flew the RA. I announced to ATC that we were executing the RA climbing. I believe; based on TCAS logic function; that the conflicting traffic was also looking at an RA Descend of similar magnitude. ATC needs to watch converging traffic and give conflict resolution prior to an RA event. This is especially imperative in RVSM airspace where there is the potential for an aircraft being unable to perform a climbing escape maneuver; if it is already at or near its vertical limit.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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