A319 / A321, en-route, west north west of Geneva, Switzerland 2011

A319 / A321, en-route, west north west of Geneva, Switzerland 2011

Summary

On 6 August 2011 an Easyjet Airbus A319 on which First Officer Line Training was in progress exceeded its cleared level during the climb after a different level to that correctly read back was set on the FMS. As a result, it came into conflict with an Alitalia A321 and this was resolved by responses to coordinated TCAS RAs. STCA alerts did not enable ATC resolution of the conflict and it was concluded that a lack of ATC capability to receive Mode S EHS DAPs - since rectified - was a contributory factor to the outcome.

Description

On 6 August 2011, an Airbus A319 being operated by Easyjet Switzerland on scheduled passenger fight from Basel to Palma de Mallorca lost separation in the climb in day Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) against an Airbus A321 being operated by Alitalia on a scheduled passenger flight from Paris CDG to Rome Fiumicino which was level in the cruise. TCAS RAs were annunciated and flown by both aircraft and any risk of collision was removed.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Swiss AIB using the aircraft DFDR data, recorded downlink data, recordings of ATC radar, the STCA log and ground communications and statements made by the pilots and controllers involved. Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and FDR/QAR data from the two aircraft was not used.

The conflict occurred in French airspace with the A319 working Marseille and was not reported to the Swiss Accident Investigation Board (SAIB) until three days after it had occurred. The SAIB then advised the Italian authorities who delegated the Investigation to the SAIB which commenced it on 26 August.

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