B738/A319 en-route, south east of Zurich Switzerland, 2013

B738/A319 en-route, south east of Zurich Switzerland, 2013

Summary

On 12 April 2013, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 took a climb clearance intended for another Ryanair aircraft on the same frequency. The aircraft for which the clearance was intended did not respond and the controller did not notice that the clearance readback had come from a different aircraft. Once the wrong aircraft began to climb, from FL360 to FL380, a TCAS RA to descend occurred due to traffic just transferred to a different frequency and at FL370. That traffic received a TCAS RA to climb. STCA was activated at the ATS Unit controlling both Ryanair aircraft.

Description

On 12 April 2013, an Airbus A319 (CS-TTD) being operated by TAP Air Portugal on a scheduled passenger flight (TAP 706) from Lisbon to Prague and a Boeing 737-800 (EI-ENK) being operated by Ryanair on a scheduled passenger flight (RYR 3595) from Pisa to Lübeck were both in the cruise in Swiss airspace in day Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) when they received coordinated TCAS RAs. These were flown and the potential conflict generated by the 737 taking a clearance directed at another Ryanair aircraft was resolved with a CPA of 0.8nm laterally and 650 feet vertically.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Swiss AIB (SAIB). Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recording from the aircraft involved had been overwritten and so were not available to support the Investigation which relied primarily on ATCC radar and R/T recordings.

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