Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Atlanta, Georgia 30320
Monday, September 27, 1999 15:30 EDT

The crew of DAL147 said that they were inbound to land at Atlanta and was at 12,000 feet, on a heading 227 degrees, in sequence for runway 08 when the flight was switched to the south runway. They were told to turn to 180 degrees when able, and to look for traffic at 11,000 feet. DAL147 was in the clouds executing the turn to 180 degrees when they responded to the TARH controller that they had the traffic on TCAS, climbing out of 11,000 feet, approaching their altitude. The crew further stated that the TCAS indicated that the traffic was climbing to 14,000 feet. The pilot flying turned off the autopilot to make the turn quicker to avoid the traffic, and when the autopilot came off, a flight attendant in the back of the airplane was seriously injured. FAA transcript of communications revealed that the TARH controller told DAL147 that the traffic would be leveling at eleven and instructed the crew to maintain visual separation from the traffic. The transcripts also show that at 1902:43 the traffic, a Continental Airlines flight (COA66), was climbing in the clouds, and had been cleared to 14,000 feet instead of 11,000 feet.

FAA approach/departure controller's improper service and failure to coordinate and resolve a conflict between aircraft prior to effecting a frequency change, and the improper application of visual separation rules to a flight in the clouds, resulting the crew being required to make an abrupt maneuver to avoid the traffic, causing serious injury to a flight attendant.