OpenAirDocs.org

20110809028179I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Boeing 737-3H4 · Mcrae, GA · August 9, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 9, 2011 · 21:43 local
Place
Mcrae, GA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
SWAA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N390SW
Reported as
Boeing 737-3H4
Reported engine
CFM International CFM56 series
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
13,345 total13,345 in this make and model136 in the last 90 days
N390SWRegistration cancelled Feb 9, 2018 · Boeing 737-3H4S/N 26593 · Built 1994Airframe modelBoeing 737-3H4Engine modelCFM International CFM56 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Swa 261 was level at F330, en route from jax to bna. The pilot requested F360. Atl center cleared swa 261 to climb and maintain F340. The read back was correct. Approximately 30 seconds later, the pilot of swa 261 advised they were responding to a TCAS ra for traffic off their left wing. The other aircraft was trs 793, northeast bound at F350. Swa 261 reached F348 before returning to F340. Separation was lost with trs 793. Trs 793 also initiated a climb in response to a TCAS ra and climbed to F353. The closet proximity was 1.56 miles and 500 ft. the swa pilot asap investigation revealed that the TCAS ra was caused by swa 261 climbing above its assigned altitude of F340. The CA allowed the aircraft automation to achieve a climb rate in excess of 2,500 ft per minute even though the clearance was to climb from F330 to F340. In addition, the pilot responded incorrectly to the TCAS ra, misinterpreting the adjust vertical speed command as a climb command. The pilot stated he was confused by the cockpit presentation of the TCAS ra in this older model B-737-3H4. He said he had recently been flying the newer model B-737-7H4 with the pfd/nd cockpit display.

As the FAA filed it

SWA 261 WAS LEVEL AT F330, EN ROUTE FROM JAX TO BNA. THE PILOT REQUESTED F360. ATL CENTER CLEARED SWA 261 TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN F340. THE READ BACK WAS CORRECT. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER, THE PILOT OF SWA 261 ADVISED THEY WERE RESPONDING TO A TCAS RA FOR TRAFFIC OFF THEIR LEFT WING. THE OTHER AIRCRAFT WAS TRS 793, NORTHEAST BOUND AT F350. SWA 261 REACHED F348 BEFORE RETURNING TO F340. SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH TRS 793. TRS 793 ALSO INITIATED A CLIMB IN RESPONSE TO A TCAS RA AND CLIMBED TO F353. THE CLOSET PROXIMITY WAS 1.56 MILES AND 500 FT.THE SWA PILOT ASAP INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TCAS RA WAS CAUSED BY SWA 261 CLIMBING ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF F340. THE CA ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AUTOMATION TO ACHIEVE A CLIMB RATE IN EXCESS OF 2,500 FT PER MINUTE EVEN THOUGH THE CLEARANCE WAS TO CLIMB FROM F330 TO F340. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT RESPONDED INCORRECTLY TO THE TCAS RA, MISINTERPRETING THE ADJUST VERTICAL SPEED COMMAND AS A CLIMB COMMAND. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS CONFUSED BY THE COCKPIT PRESENTATION OF THE TCAS RA IN THIS OLDER MODEL B-737-3H4. HE SAID HE HAD RECENTLY BEEN FLYING THE NEWER MODEL B-737-7H4 WITH THE PFD/ND COCKPIT DISPLAY.