Wizz A320 and Vueling A320 at Barcelona on Sep 24th 2014, loss of separation, no TCAS advisories
Last Update: October 2, 2015 / 15:31:19 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 24, 2014
Classification
Incident
Airline
Wizz Air
Flight number
W6-1963
Departure
Poznan, Poland
Destination
Barcelona, Spain
Aircraft Registration
HA-LPL
Aircraft Type
Airbus A320
ICAO Type Designator
A320
A Vueling Airbus A320-200, registration EC-LZF performing flight VY-8306 from Barcelona,SP (Spain) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), had departed runway 07R and was climbing along standard departure route OKABI2R.
The two standard routes intersect at a point northeast of Sabadell VOR (SLL).
Spain's CIAIAC reported that the two aircraft lost required separation, which reduced to 400 feet vertical and 1.3nm horizontal, neither aircraft received TCAS traffic or resolution advisories. The air traffic controller however issued an instruction to HA-LPL to turn left and subsequently direct to Sabadell VOR to re-establish required separation.
Radar data show HA-LPL turned sharply right instead of left aggravating the conflict initially.
The Wizzair A320 continued for a safe landing on runway 07L, the Vueling A320 continued to Amsterdam for a safe landing.
On Oct 2nd 2015 the CIAIAC released their final report in Spanish concluding the probable causes of the incident were:
The lack of adherence to standard phraseology by the air traffic controller with respect to maneouvering instructions which led the Wizzair crew to understand to turn instead of continuing to SLL VOR/DME.
Contributing factors were:
- Lack in understanding or monitoring of readbacks by the air traffic controller, who did not detect the discrepancy between the received read back and the issued instructions
- inadequate or delayed conflict management, once the conflict was detected the controller did not issue instructions to avoid or reduce the conflict but insisted on the instructions already issued.
The CIAIAC reported that HA-LPL was instructed to follow the standard arrival route BISBA4S which would take the aircraft overhead SLL. EC-LZF was following the standard departure route OKABI2R, the two standard instrument procedures intersect at SLL VOR.
The controller issued following instruction: "Wizzair niner five one due to traffic over sierra lima lima make a tree sixty on your right" which was read back as: "Tree sixty on the right Wizzair niner five one", the crew initiated the 360 immediately afterwards. Subsequently the controller repeated his instruction four times over a period of 56 seconds while the separation between the aircraft was eroding to 400 feet vertical and 1.3nm horizontal. Seconds later the Wizzair crew, monitoring their navigation display and detecting the position of EC-LZF, stopped their turn and turned left back onto track to SLL and just informed the controller about them turning left, from this moment the distance between the aircraft increased again. The crew subsequently requested vectors back on route to SLL and received vectors taking them back onto the standard arrival route. There was no TCAS resolution advisory.
The CIAIAC analysed that according to ICAO the correct wording for the instruction to do the 360 would have been: "WZZ951 over SLL make a three sixty turn right due traffic", putting the justification/reason of the instruction at the end. Instead, with the wording used during the instruction, the crew understood, that there was traffic over SLL and therefore they had to do an immediate 360 to the right.
The read back indicating the immediate execution of the 360 was missed by the controller. The controller later stated that he decided to not provide deconflicting instructions expecting TCAS resolution advisories, which he didn't want to interfere with. It was therefore the crew of HA-LPL who detected and corrected the developing conflict.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 24, 2014
Classification
Incident
Airline
Wizz Air
Flight number
W6-1963
Departure
Poznan, Poland
Destination
Barcelona, Spain
Aircraft Registration
HA-LPL
Aircraft Type
Airbus A320
ICAO Type Designator
A320
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Wizz A320 at Stockholm on Mar 12th 2017, bird strike
A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LPL performing flight W6-4201 from Belgrade (Serbia) to Stockholm Skavsta (Sweden), departed Belgrade's…
Wizz A320 at Einhoven on May 14th 2023, engine failure
A Wizz Air Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LYP performing flight W6-1072 from Eindhoven (Netherlands) to Katowice (Poland), was in the initial climb…
Wizz A320 at Eindhoven on Aug 21st 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike
A Wizz Air Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LYI performing flight W6-2274 from Eindhoven (Netherlands) to Budapest (Hungary), was accelerating for…
Wizz A21N at Catania on Aug 8th 2022, hail strike
A WizzAir Airbus A321-200N, registration G-WUKP performing flight W9-5793 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Catania (Italy), was on approach to…
Wizz A320 at Madrid on Jul 29th 2022, hydraulic failure, then unsafe gear
A WizzAir Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LWX performing flight W6-3562 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Timisoara (Romania), was climbing out of Madrid's…
Wizz A21N at Budapest on Jul 20th 2022, evacuation after bomb threat
A WizzAir Airbus A321-200N, registration HA-LGA performing flight W6-5058 from Bari (Italy) to Krakow (Poland), was enroute at FL360 about 70nm…
Newest articles
Yeti AT72 at Pokhara on Jan 15th 2023, lost height on final approach, both propellers went into feather
On Mar 28th 2024 Nepal's Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission (AAIC) released their final report via the French BEA concluding the probable…
BoA B738 at La Paz on Mar 26th 2024, rejected takeoff due to dog strike
A BoA Boliviana de Aviacion Boeing 737-800, registration CP-3138 performing flight OB-625 from La Paz to Cochabamba (Bolivia), was accelerating for…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner
A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.
ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
Your regulation partner, specialists in aviation safety and compliance; providing training, auditing, and consultancy services. Find out more.
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways