<< >> NASA ASRS Report 154327, August 1990

Standard separation was lost between 2 aircraft when the controller's transmitter failed and backup equipment was not immediately available.

Attributes
ACN	154327
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	154327
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	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

An large transport, dca-gve-tpa, departed dca 85 degree right climbing to 5000'. Small aircraft, W10-ott-cge, level at 5000'. The west departure frequency 118.95 failed again, and an immediate climb was needed to separate the 2 aircraft. 118.95 should be replaced. Ucr filed 8/90. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated the aircraft came within 2 mi of each other. He was unable to immediately activate the backup transmitter because the equipment is located at adw. He filed an ucr on the primary equipment and the equipment was fixed within 2 days. Management in citing budget restraints as the reason for not relocating the standby equipment to dca.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST BETWEEN 2 ACFT WHEN THE CTLR'S TRANSMITTER FAILED AND BACKUP EQUIPMENT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.

Narrative: AN LGT, DCA-GVE-TPA, DEPARTED DCA 85 DEG R CLBING TO 5000'. SMA, W10-OTT-CGE, LEVEL AT 5000'. THE W DEP FREQ 118.95 FAILED AGAIN, AND AN IMMEDIATE CLB WAS NEEDED TO SEPARATE THE 2 ACFT. 118.95 SHOULD BE REPLACED. UCR FILED 8/90. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THE ACFT CAME WITHIN 2 MI OF EACH OTHER. HE WAS UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATE THE BACKUP XMITTER BECAUSE THE EQUIP IS LOCATED AT ADW. HE FILED AN UCR ON THE PRIMARY EQUIP AND THE EQUIP WAS FIXED WITHIN 2 DAYS. MGMNT IN CITING BUDGET RESTRAINTS AS THE REASON FOR NOT RELOCATING THE STANDBY EQUIP TO DCA.

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.