NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION near Austin | Airbus A319 and Light Aircraft

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[VASAviation]

It's still unknown to me what frequency N669S was on at the time of the incident.
Audio is raw, not trimmed, and other traffic imported to the radar for workload context. That was really close!

[commerce-usa]

TCAS saving lives, what a fantastic technology to keep the sky a safer place.

[joelleerickson]

A few commenters seem to miss that the target was VFR, outside of the Charlie airspace, and was not required to be talking to anyone, much less this specific controller. You can see this because the target is a * and the altitude is 115, which is the proper VFR altitude for this aircraft's route of flight. Like it or not, the law in the United States is that you can fly VFR up to 17, 999' in most areas without talking to ATC. In fact, if this conflict would have occurred at 9, 500' the aircraft wouldn't even be required to have a transponder!! Furthermore, many other aircraft, such as gliders and some older airplanes, are exempt from the transponder requirement in the regulations.

This exact situation is why TCAS is, and should be, required on all transport-category aircraft.

[BjRamosable]

Good airmanship from the A319 pilots! Safe flight always Aviators!

[mtnairpilot]

Nice that the Allegiant crew handled the issue and went about their day. No ranting on the radio, etc.

[gregrtodd]

For those criticising the actions of the Bushby Mustang pilot: He was where he should have been in non-Charlie airspace. The crossing angle puts the Airbus about 8 o'clock (just slightly aft of his left wing) -how many of us include area that in our regular "lookout" scan? I didn't in the past, but I'll be adding it in future...

[keithbrown]

In this simulation, N669S is tagged, but no idea if that was really displayed on the approach control radar, could've been due to ADS-B, I've been out out of the biz for 10 years now, but they may have been talking to Houston Center, or no one at all. Hind sight is always 20/20. Over 23 years I saw a few near collisions saved by TCAS. That's why we have standards and equipment to avoid accidents, because humans make mistakes.

[FactsMatter]

Thank you for the video and for all of the experienced comments providing context. Much appreciated.

[fegolem]

A bunch of years ago, a single engine plane heading north and a military helicopter heading east nearly collided over my parents house. I watched as at the last couple seconds the helicopter banked suddenly and very sharply to avoid the plane. The plane never move from its course.
I only saw it because the sounds of a helicopter draws my attention. They were at a fairly low altitude.

[SteepTurn]

At 02:03 - 2 seconds after CA is visible on radar - N669S obviously saw the conflict with AAY1500 and drops it's altitude to 10800 ft. At this point (02:33) the vertical separation was 1000 ft due to the radar display. Thereafter, the conflict no longer exists, N669S climbs back to it's previous altitude of 11500 ft.

This is just my observation as an additional information to all the other comments. Greetings from EDDH.

[buttersPbutters]

In other countries, UK for example, the arrival routes and low-altitude airways are Class C airspace, so VFR traffic isn't allowed to cross through a STAR without radio communications and clearance from ATC. In the US, the Class C only protects 10 nmi around the airport up to 4000 ft AGL, and the VFR traffic will tend to skirt just outside the airspace boundary, so these C/E and B/E airspace boundaries are quite prone to conjunction threats between IFR and VFR traffic, especially where the STARs or SIDs pass through those boundaries.

[elwyrick]

Another one that brings up a memory. If these were around in 1968 when I was 17, I would have been the VFR guy. This was before we had terminal control areas. I was flying from Newnan, Georgia southwest of the Atlanta airport and heading north toward Carrollton, Georgia in a Cessna 172. I had a queasy passenger and it was a hot summer day and the haze line was at about 9, 000 ft so I got up to 9500 ft, the appropriate VFR altitude. I looked to the left and saw a fuselage and four engines coming right at me. The only way I could get out of the way, I thought, was to try to get below the airliner coming at me. The airspeed indicator was redlined and it still wasn't working. Every time I looked to the left, that fuselage and four engines were still coming right at me. Finally, I looked left and saw the big plane turning. I turned away and it filled the left window just above us. I sat and waited for the wake turbulence but nothing happened. I think I must have been so close we flew under it. My father was an Eastern Airlines pilot, but he was on a trip, so when I got home I called another Eastern pilot who co-owned the airport that I flew out of and worked at as a lineboy. I asked him if I should call the FAA. He said if they hadn't called me, don't call them. I didn't. It wasn't too long after that the terminal control areas were created and that would have kept me out of harm's way. I learned a lesson, though, to pay attention at all altitudes even if you seem far away from a major airport, TCA or not.

[matthewa]

I was left wondering why the Atc controller did not seemed to be alerted to the potential collision until notification of the Tcas from the plane.

[andrewcasterline]

Seems like the speed/heading vectors should be in front of the plane - indicating where it will be in couple minutes - and then the controller would get a warning if they cross without a minimum vertical separation

[jasonm]

Since it was just outside his airspace I would guess the controller expected the center controller to ensure traffic separation before the handoff. Regardless, AUS airspace (including on the ground) is way too saturated for the workforce the FAA allots for it. Every time I fly in there it is an almost constant back and forth with people stepping all over each other. All that being said, good job to the flight crew!

[edwardhahn]

Please add dates of the incident to these videos…thanks! Very useful

[smileyheckster]

You also see the GA aircraft descending, probably saw the allegiant with their ADS-B receiver. I couldn't imagine flying without ADS-B these days

[OnTheToolsWithSal]

Quick ? On the radios that aviation uses. Do the have Identifiers so they can see who keys up to TX? In the fire service we use radios that display who is transmitting, when you key up you get a short delay tone about a second long when that stops you can speak. During that delay the radio sends the identifier to all the radios that are on frequency. Also we have the ability to send a Mayday alert tone via a mic mounted button. That will show mayday alerts and Identifier tags on all radios

[raymondflores]

To add to the mix this Controller is handling depatures and arrivals. Don't know time of day this TCAS took place? Seems like he's multitasking two roles.

[caiolinnertel]

TCAS does it's job again. Developed by one of my colleagues at MITRE Corp for the FAA. Had to say how many lives this has saved.