Feds Probe AA B777- 2 AF C-17s Near Miss SE of NYC

[Gerard]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/02/04/2011-02-04_nearmiss_between_american_airlines_jet_and_two_ air_force_cargo_planes_gets_feds_.html

[USAF Pilot 07]

Interesting.. Could just be a slow news day, or could be something serious. I'd be interested in finding out what they find. Keep in mind heavy formations always require an altitude block, and the formation routings for aircraft out of McGuire are laid out and filed a certain way due to an agreement we have with NY center. At some point either someone deviated from or didn't heed their clearance, or ATC forgot about someone or thought they'd have enough clearance to get the jets across safely without a conflict when in reality they didn't.

On a personal note, I've gotten TCAS RA's on departure over the shore where no one is really at fault. Situations can develop where an aircraft down low is cleared to climb and maintain an altitude, and another aircraft up high coming head on is cleared to descend and maintain an altitude 1,000' above the other aircraft's altitude. Technically, ATC has ensured separation by not clearing any aircraft into each others path and if both aircraft level-off at their cleared altitudes as they should they will have 1,000' of clearance between each other. But, the way TCAS is designed can still give you an RA, since it's predicting, based on the current flight profile of each aircraft, where a conflict could arise. So, if the aircraft descending is doing a steep descent, and the aircraft climbing is climbing fast and they are going to hit their level off points at about the same time, TCAS may still give you an RA, since it has no idea what altitude you are planning on leveling off at.
I think the time I got an RA we still had like 4000' in between us. Maybe it's poor form on ATC's part to be issuing clearances like that, but I wouldn't call it unsafe.


If we're doing 2000-3000FPM in the climb and the other aircraft coming head on is doing 2000-3000FPM in the descent, you c

[mirrodie]

Love that photo of the 777 in the article ;)

[Speedbagel_001]

Well... it is a twin... and they did manage to find a photo with the correct airlines. As far as they care, about 98% of their readers won't know the difference anyway.

[USAF Pilot 07]

Link to updated video.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/politics-15749652/planes-nearly-collide-midair-24104105

Appears as if a miscommunication between two controllers led to both aircraft being cleared to the same altitude. Media says they came within 200' of each other and a mile laterally. That's pretty close. Luckily, that's why we all have TCAS, which seems to have saved the day in this case.