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ARTCC developmental controller controlling converging aircraft at 9000' did not observe conflict alert flashing on radar scope and allowed the aircraft to lose standard separation. Instructor tried to intervene at last second but culdnot save the situation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 142401 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199004 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dov |
| State Reference | DE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : developmental controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 142401 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 17000 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Extremely busy period, lots of aircraft blocking each other out on frequency. The C/a list/function had at least 70% of everything on scope. Most of the flashing going was irrelevant, like aircraft in approach control altitude, vfrs below the floor of sectors altitudes. The 1 conflict that the computer was trying to tell us about was cluttered up with the rest. C/a apparently went off, according to tapes, 25 mi before aircraft were to lose sep. By the time we sorted through all of the other alerts and got to the real problem, we had 8 mi. Supplemental information from acn 142626: the deviation was checked out on R53 nd training on R51. She was doing a good job with numerous C/a's flashing on pvd. I saw air carrier X at 9000' in potential conflict with small aircraft X (who was about 10 mi west of course) at 9000' also. I took the frequency and turned air carrier X to 4350 degrees. No response from aircraft, so I turned to 330 degrees and descended to 8000', also turned small aircraft Y to 150 degrees.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR CONTROLLING CONVERGING ACFT AT 9000' DID NOT OBSERVE CONFLICT ALERT FLASHING ON RADAR SCOPE AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO LOSE STANDARD SEPARATION. INSTRUCTOR TRIED TO INTERVENE AT LAST SECOND BUT CULDNOT SAVE THE SITUATION.
Narrative: EXTREMELY BUSY PERIOD, LOTS OF ACFT BLOCKING EACH OTHER OUT ON FREQ. THE C/A LIST/FUNCTION HAD AT LEAST 70% OF EVERYTHING ON SCOPE. MOST OF THE FLASHING GOING WAS IRRELEVANT, LIKE ACFT IN APCH CTL ALT, VFRS BELOW THE FLOOR OF SECTORS ALTS. THE 1 CONFLICT THAT THE COMPUTER WAS TRYING TO TELL US ABOUT WAS CLUTTERED UP WITH THE REST. C/A APPARENTLY WENT OFF, ACCORDING TO TAPES, 25 MI BEFORE ACFT WERE TO LOSE SEP. BY THE TIME WE SORTED THROUGH ALL OF THE OTHER ALERTS AND GOT TO THE REAL PROB, WE HAD 8 MI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 142626: THE DEV WAS CHKED OUT ON R53 ND TRNING ON R51. SHE WAS DOING A GOOD JOB WITH NUMEROUS C/A'S FLASHING ON PVD. I SAW ACR X AT 9000' IN POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH SMA X (WHO WAS ABOUT 10 MI W OF COURSE) AT 9000' ALSO. I TOOK THE FREQ AND TURNED ACR X TO 4350 DEGS. NO RESPONSE FROM ACFT, SO I TURNED TO 330 DEGS AND DSNDED TO 8000', ALSO TURNED SMA Y TO 150 DEGS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.