Investigation

The investigation was initiated by the BFU immediately after receipt on the notification.

Up to now, the investigation has led to the following results:

Aircraft/ Crews:

· The aircraft collided at a right angle. Whereas the Boeing B 757 was on a northern heading (004º) the Tupolev TU 154 M had a western heading (274º). The collision occurred at an altitude of app. FL 350.

· Both aircraft were equipped with identical collision warning devices (TCAS Honeywell 2000, Change 7). According to the knowledge gathered so far, no malfunction was found.

· Both operators had provided training programmes for TCAS and the crews had completed the corresponding training.

· Neither the history of the flight nor the evaluation of the flight data recorders indicated any technical defects on the aeroplanes.

Air Traffic Control:

· In the ACC Zurich maintenance work on the system was performed in the late evening of the accident day, during this period of time the system was operated in the “fallback mode”.

The horizontal separation minima had been increased from 5 to 7 nm. According to this, the horizontal distance between aeroplane flying at the same altitude must be at least 7 nm, which corresponds to a flight time of app. one minute. during this period of time the ground based collision warning system STCA (Short Term Conflict Alert) was not available.

The direct phone connections to the adjacent air traffic control services were not available either.

· At the moment of the collision one controller was on the sector controller workplace. He had to monitor two workplaces with radar screens. A second controller on the night shift was outside the office for a break.

In addition there was one assistant on the sector workplace. She had no traffic control tasks but was responsible only for the receipt, the processing and the transmission of reports and flight plans.

This crew composition was corresponding to the normal night shift at the ACC Zurich.

· App. two minutes prior to the collision the STCA system of the UACC (Upper Area Control Center) at Karlsruhe issued a warning to advise of a probable collision. The radar controller of the UACC tried several times to contact the ACC Zurich via the direct telephone line. It was not possible to establish a connection.

Exercise 9.2.2 Answer the questions.

1. What aircraft collided near the town of Űberlingen?

2. Where did both aeroplanes crash on?

3. Where were wreckages spread?

4. How many passengers were aboard the aeroplane to Barcelona?

5. What did the previous clearance include?

6. What did TCAS warn about?

7. What did ACC Zurich instruct the crew of the Tupolev?

8. What was the simultaneous command?

9. Who was the instruction acknowledged by?

10. What did the radar controller inform the crew about?

11. What did the crew ask for?

12. What results has the investigation led to?

13. Which system was not available?

14. What was the controller responsible for?

15. What was this crew composition corresponding to?

16. What did the radar controller of the UACC try to do?

Exercise 9.2.3 What do the following abbreviations stand for.

VOR; ACC; TCAS; STCA; UACC; ATC

Exercise 9.2.4 Write T if the sentence is true and F if the sentence is false.

1. The wreckages were spread everywhere.

2. Minor wreckage parts were lost.

3. TCAS warned the crew against the conflicting traffic.

4. Some seconds later ACC Zurich instructed the crew of the Tupolev to conduct an “expedite climb” to FL 350.

5. The crew confirmed this instruction and initiated a descent.

6. The radar controller reminded the crew to conduct an expedite descent to FL 350.

7. The aeroplane departed from Bahrain airport for a charter flight with one intermediate stop.

8. The crew gave a permission to climb to FL 320.

9. The aeroplane reached FL 320.

10. The Boeing B 757 was on a southern heading.

11. The collision happened at altitude 2000 ft.

12. During this period of time the system was operated in the “fallback mode”.

13. The vertical separation minima had been increased.

14. At the moment of the collision one controller was on the sector controller workplace.

Exercise 9.2.5 Give the English equivalents for the following.

Чартерный рейс; возможное конфликтное движение; одновременно; приемоответчик; частота; расследование; следующие результаты; поздним вечером; время полета; в момент столкновения; рабочее место; план полета; ночная смена; двумя минутами раньше.

Exercise 9.2.6 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and word combinations.

Youthful/ young; to navigate; to say several times; to notify; to rise; instruction; to happen; to carry out; clash; neighbouring; to be in charge of; to supervise; in accordance with; instantly; permission.

Exercise 9.2.7 State what part of speech the following words belong to.

1. northern

a) adjective b) adverb c) verb d) adjective

2. late

a) verb b) adverb c) pronoun d) adjective

3. between

a) adverb b) preposition c) adjective d) verb

4. based

a) preposition b) adverb c) verb d) adjective

5. immediately

a) adjective b) adverb c) noun d) pronoun

6. adjacent

a) past participle b) noun c) preposition d) adverb

7. available

a) verb b) adjective c) noun d) adverb

8. major

a) preposition b) adjective c) verb d) adverb

9. another

a) pronoun b) adverb c) verb d) past participle

10. previously

a) adverb b) adjective c) verb d) preposition

11. adolescent

a) pronoun b) adjective c) noun d) adverb

12. this

a) adverb b) verb c) adjective d) pronoun

13. expedite

a) adverb b) verb c) adjective d) past participle

Exercise 9.2.8 Match the words and word combinations in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. wreckage parts	a. следующие результаты
2. aboard the aeroplane	b. установить связь
3. transponder code	c. состав экипажа
4. expedite descent	d. система ТСАS предупредила экипаж
5. intermediate stop	e. в момент столкновения
6. continue the flight	f. технические требования
7. flight data recorder	g. запросить разрешение
8. maintenance work	h. ремонтные работы
9. ask for a clearance	i. запись данных полета
10. technical defects	j. продолжить полет
11. at the moment of the collision	l. промежуточная остановка
12. the avoidance command	m. ускорить снижение
13. TCAS warned the crew	n. код приемоответчика
14. crew composition	o. на борту самолета
15. establish a connection	p. части обломков крушения
16. training programmes	q. уклонение от команды
17. following results	r. учебная программа

Exercise 9.2.9 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. Both aircraft _______ on the ground north of the town of Űberlingen (landed, took off, crashed).

2. Minor wreckage parts were ____ (lost, found, taken).

3. The aeroplane ____ from Moscow (landed, departed, took off).

4. The aeroplane was ____ by Munich Radar (controlled, guided, observed).

5. TCAS warned the crew ____ probable conflicting traffic (about, against).

6. The crew did not confirm this ______ (permission, clearance, instruction).

7. The radar controller ____ his instruction to the crew (related, confirmed, repeated).

8. The aeroplane departed from Bahrain airport for a _______ flight to Brussels. (domestic, local, cargo).

9. The aeroplane collided at a ____ angle (wrong, right, left).

10. _____ work on the system was performed in the late evening of the accident (construction, building, maintenance).

11. __ this period of time the ground based collision warning system was not available (at, for, during).

12. The radar controller of the UACC tried to contact the ACC Zurich ____ the direct telephone (along, via, due to).

Exercise 9.2.10 Fill in the gaps with the related words.

1. The clearance given already ______ (previous) included a direct approach to the Transdingen VOR.

2. _____ (simultaneous) airborne TCAS issued the command to climb.

3. The radar ___ (control) informed the crew about other traffic at FL 360.

4. A ____ (clear) for a direct approach to the Tango VOR was granted.

5. They ____ (immediate) followed the command.

6. The crew reported to ATC the ____ (avoid) command.

7. The ____ (investigate) has led to the following results.

8. Both aircraft were equipped with ______ (ident) collision warning devices.

9. Both operators had provided ____ (train) programmes for TCAS.

10. The crews had completed the ____ (correspond) training.

11. The direct phone ____ (connect) to the adjacent air traffic control services were not available.

12. In addition there was one __ (assist) on the sector.

Exercise 9.2.11 Fill in the prepositions if necessary.

1. The aeroplane took _____ from Moscow _____ a charter flight ____ Barcelona.

2. The aeroplane was guided __ Munich Radar.

3. The clearance included a direct approach _____ a cruise flight level ____ FL 360.

4. This instruction was immediately acknowledged _____ the crew.

5. The radar controller informed the crew ____ other traffic _____ FL 360 ______ the 2 o’clock position.

6. The aeroplane departed _____ Bahrain airport ______ a cargo flight _____ Brussels.

7. The crew asked _____ a clearance _____ climb _____ FL 360.

8. Both aircraft were equipped ____ identified collision warning devices.

9. _____ the ACC Zurich maintenance work _____ the system was performed ____ the late evening _____ the accident day.

10. The direct phone connections ______ the adjacent air traffic control services were not available either.

11. The radar controller tried several times to contact the ACC Zurich _____ the direct telephone line.

Exercise 9.2.12 Make up sentences using the given words.

1. Ground/ aeroplane/ on/ following/ the/ both/ crashed/ the/ collision

2. German/ the/ airspace/ the/ entered/ aeroplane

3. Not/ instruction/ a/ the/ descent/ crew/ confirm/ did/ this/ but/ initiated

4. Controller/ the/ 2 o’clock/ after/ position/ about/ that/ the/ radar/ crew/ other/ informed/ traffic/ in/ the

5. Against/ traffic/ TCAS/ the/ warned/ crew/ conflicting/ probable

6. Angle/ the/ collision/ a/ aircraft/ at/ right

7. No/ found/ according/ gathered/ so/ malfunction/ was/ to/ knowledge/ far/ the

8. Connection/ if/ to/ establish/ not/ a/ possible

9. Aircraft/ identical/ both/ were/ devices/ equipped/ collision/ with/ warning

Exercise 9.2.13 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Оба самолета столкнулись на земле севернее города Űberlingen.

2. 12 членов экипажа и 57 пассажиров, 45 из которых дети и подростки.

3. Система TCAS предупредила экипаж о возможном конфликтном движении.

4. Семь секунд спустя диспетчер информировал экипаж Туполева выполнить «ускоренное снижение» до эшелона 350.

5. Это указание было немедленно подтверждено экипажем.

6. Экипаж запросил набор до ЭП 360,некоторое время спустя экипаж получил команду ускорить снижение.

7. Ни история полета, ни оценка записи данных полета не указывали на какие-либо технические дефекты самолета.

8. Минимум горизонтального эшелонирования был увеличен от 5 до 7 морских миль.

9. Прямая телефонная связь с ближайшими диспетчерскими службами не была также доступна.

Exercise 9.2.14 Retell the text.

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