<< >> NASA ASRS Report 114845, June 1989

ARTCC intrafac handoff. Receiving sector issued an immediate descent and heading change. Possible loss of standard separation. Possible system error.

Attributes
ACN	114845
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hfd
State Reference	CT
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zbw
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	114845
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5280 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure other

Narrative:

I had just been handed over to the next sector when voice a, before I had checked in, asked for a left turn and 1000' descent, expedite. Did so and acknowledged. Airliner pressed opp direction well off to right. Appeared that center was just changing controllers--there were 2 voices and they said there had been a change. I asked if I should stay at new altitude; was told no, climb back to assigned altitude and resume normal navigation. Moral: when controllers and sectors change at the same time, advisories get lost. Controller in sector I was leaving should have relayed avoidance maneuver from new sector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC INTRAFAC HANDOFF. RECEIVING SECTOR ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT AND HEADING CHANGE. POSSIBLE LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION. POSSIBLE SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: I HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OVER TO THE NEXT SECTOR WHEN VOICE A, BEFORE I HAD CHKED IN, ASKED FOR A LEFT TURN AND 1000' DSCNT, EXPEDITE. DID SO AND ACKNOWLEDGED. AIRLINER PRESSED OPP DIRECTION WELL OFF TO RIGHT. APPEARED THAT CENTER WAS JUST CHANGING CTLRS--THERE WERE 2 VOICES AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE. I ASKED IF I SHOULD STAY AT NEW ALT; WAS TOLD NO, CLB BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT AND RESUME NORMAL NAV. MORAL: WHEN CTLRS AND SECTORS CHANGE AT THE SAME TIME, ADVISORIES GET LOST. CTLR IN SECTOR I WAS LEAVING SHOULD HAVE RELAYED AVOIDANCE MANEUVER FROM NEW SECTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.