Airprox Report 2013085

5
stay above a cloud build-up. Notwithstanding that this is within the approved minimum descent rate1,
the Board opined that the DH8D pilot could usefully have alerted the Welin controller that he was
descending more slowly than he might have otherwise expected. A Controller member commented
that, in his recent experience, it is becoming more prevalent for aircraft to descend at a slower rate
than previously expected, which can affect controller planning. It was pointed out that this may be
due to the use of ‘economy’ speeds and that this might need to be factored into controllers’ future
strategies for sequencing aircraft in the terminal phases of their flights.
The Board decided that, even though separation was subsequently achieved through a combination
of avoiding action turns, and the pilots following their respective TCAS RAs, it was the Welin
controller’s responsibility to ensure the fail-safe descent of his DH8D through the A320’s level;
therefore, the Board concluded that the cause of the Airprox was that the Welin controller allowed the
DH8D to come into conflict with the A320. The Board members were unanimous in considering that
the remaining safety barriers had been effective and that, in the end, there was no collision risk; they
therefore agreed a risk assessment of Category C .
PART C: ASSESSMENT OF CAUSE AND RISK
Cause: The TC Welin controller allowed the DH8D to come into conflict with the
A320.
Risk: C.
ERC Score:2 50.
1 UK AIP ENR 1.1, Paragraph 3.2.2.4.1: Minimum Rates of Climb and Descent
2 Although the Event Risk Classification (ERC) trial had been formally terminated for future development at the time of the
Board, for data continuity and consistency purposes, Director UKAB and the UKAB Secretariat provided a shadow
assessment of ERC.