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| Date: | Friday 1 August 2003 |
| Time: | 20:34 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 767-3Y0ER |
| Owner/operator: | Aviajet, opb Air Atlanta Icelandic |
| Registration: | TF-ATU |
| MSN: | 26204/464 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1992 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Incident |
| Location: | Near Paris -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Roma-Ciampino Air Base (CIA/LIRA) |
| Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On Friday 1st August 2003 at 2016.20 UTC, SWR371, an A320 under IFR en route from London Heathrow to Basle Mulhouse contacted the CRNA/N (Paris) UZ sector and reported they were reaching FL270 (ceiling level for flights between London and Basle Mulhouse, as planned by the airline in respect of this "city pair"). The controller cleared them direct BARAK.
At 2018.59, SWR371 which had requested a higher flight level (while specifying 390 as a maximum) was cleared to climb to FL310 after coordination with the Brest CRNA/O ZS/ZU sector. At 2019.27, SWR371 was transferred to Brest ZS/ZU sector which continued to monitor the climb of SWR371 to the FL390 requested. At 2027.31, a phone call was placed by ZU (Brest) to SU sector (Paris) in order to coordinate SWR371 to FL390. The SU radar controller accepted. At 2029.00, ABD2354, a B767-300 under IFR, en route from Rome to Dublin, already in contact with the CRNA/N (Paris) SU sector was transferred to the frequency of the CRNA/E (Reims) UY sector, maintaining FL380. It was transferred to the UY sector in Reims before passing BRY, in accordance with the Letter of Agreement (therefore before crossing the route of SWR371 BARAK-GELTA). At 2032.27, SWR371 contacted the SU sector (Paris), maintaining FL390. The controller cleared them for a direct route to GELTA (which placed them north of their initial route). The SU sector was undergoing training, and the organic and radar controllers had just changed posts (trainee at the radar in the presence of the instructor and first
organic controller).
At 2032.54, the radar instructor for the SU sector (Paris) coordinated SWR371 to the UF sector in Reims. Both controllers agreed for SWR371 to come into Reims level at FL350. At 2032.55, the controller for UY sector turned ABD2354 15 degrees left in order to cross with an overflying traffic (route TSU-RANUX) at the same level. (The Letter of Agreement allows for possible radar guidance prior to entry in UY sector, without changing levels). This heading put them closer to the trajectory of SWR371. At 2033.42, the SU sector controller requested SWR371 to "start descent FL370, best
rate of descent". At 2034.12, the safety net was triggered. The SU sector (Paris) controller ordered SWR371 to turn 20 degrees right immediately. SWR371 read back. The radar instructor took over the frequency and requested SWR371 to turn right, then changed his mind immediately, ordering 30 degrees left whilst at the same time giving a traffic information "traffic in your front side, 5NM".
SWR371 asked "left, confirm 30 degrees left?" and specified "we have the traffic squawking in sight". The controller said "according to the traffic, you maintain the flight level avoiding the traffic".
At 2034.22, the UY sector (Reims) controller asked ABD2354 to turn 35 degrees right immediately. The pilot did not respond. The controller again issued information of a traffic at 12 o'clock, in the opposite direction. ABD2354 replied "traffic alert" and announced that they were descending.
At 2034.53, at the request of the SU (Paris) controller, SWR371 confirmed visual contact with the traffic "it’s rather close, it’s passing below us now", then added, "traffic is not on the TCAS, it is not on TCAS". In their declaration, SWR371 insisted on the fact that "we had no TCAS target on our screens" and specified that they observed around them and leveled off at FL376. At 2035.03, ABD2354 notified control "we have a traffic resolution and we are descending down to 37". At that moment SWR 371 was descending towards ABD 2354 which was also descending thanks to the TCAS.
SWR371 had passed 350 feet above ABD 2354 and wrote an Airprox report.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.rnsa.is/media/1451/m-04503_aig-28-_flugatvik_abd2354_og_swr371_vid_paris.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/163515 (Photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Apr-2025 12:00 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 18-Apr-2025 12:18 | ASN | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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