From Jacks to Joysticks by Michael John Patrick

Author:Michael John Patrick [Patrick, Michael John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Military, History, Aviation
ISBN: 9781526712851
Google: ZT4WtAEACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Published: 2018-02-15T16:14:47+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Airprox in a DC10

We were leaving Canada to the south of Gander and about to pick up our North Atlantic Track (NAT track) from ATC which would carry us to the UK. We were out of Dallas for Gatwick. The frequency was very busy and we had been ignored by ATC on several calls and stepped on by others cutting in on our transmissions. All very frustrating for us and also for the controller. There was a lot of traffic that night.

We got an on-board advisory warning of conflicting traffic at our level. Another aircraft was 16 miles away but predicted by our Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) to be on a collision course with us. A little yellow diamond shape tracked across our indicator. The other aircraft got a warning about us at the same time, as that’s how it works. Eventually the conflict would turn into a hard warning and the yellow diamond would change to red. Then both of us would get automatic guidance to avoid each other by disconnecting the autopilot and flying the command we were given. At least that is what should happen.

Now we were aware of the conflict and the captain, who was running the radios, tried to get a clearance to descend out of the way of the threat. ATC were not listening again. The target tracked closer to us. Therefore, I suggested that we go down 500 feet then return to our assigned level. This wasn’t heeded by the pilots and we just sat there waiting for the inevitable conflict resolution to tell us what to do.

At length, with the other traffic only a few miles and not so many seconds away, the co-pilot whose leg this was, gently pitched the autopilot altitude setting down to start us descending. Maybe he did not want to alarm the passengers or spill the champagne in first class. There was too much lag and then the Resolution Command kicked in with “Descend, Descend!” coming through the speakers. The autopilot was still engaged, this was not standard procedure.

My last observation of the red warning showed it was a mere two miles away and we had only descended 150 feet. The target was closing with us fast from behind and to the left of us.

I leaned across to the left side cockpit window and saw the left, red navigation light and the cockpit white lights of the other aircraft flash over us with no more than 200 feet to spare. It was so immediately above us that I could only see one wing tip of the other aircraft. My crew reported an Airprox with another aircraft at our position. The controller came back with “Negative, you’ve got ten miles separation”.

The radio was silent for a while. Then another controller came on the frequency. Someone else was feeling scared now, this time at the ATC centre.

That was a big screw-up.

The episode really bugged me and I could not sleep for a few nights. I was angry about it, too.

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