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ARTCC TRACON intrafac coordination radar handoff X misidented descended below minimum vectoring altitude. System error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 245260 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199306 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : buf |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : buf |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zob enroute airway : buf |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 13 controller supervisory : 9 |
| ASRS Report | 245260 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
ARTS ii was out for maintenance on a sunday morning when traffic volume is normally light. I had just relieved the radar controller. During the relief briefing he pointed to the beacon targets as he told me about each aircraft and I rearranged my strips to my liking. On the handoff from ZOB, a commuter X was manually handed off, according to position, in front of air carrier Y. The relieving controller pointed to these 2 targets on the scope in that order, the commuter X in front and air carrier Y in trail. I descended the commuter X to 2500 ft and assigned a heading toward the OM for a visual approach. The commuter then asked me about a 2500 ft antenna off his left side. I realized immediately that there was confusion on the handoff from ZOB to buf or, on the position relief briefing, and that the commuter was actually the second aircraft and was still in a 4000 ft minimum vectoring area. I climbed the commuter and continued to vector both aircraft to the airport. I asked the relieving controller if he had asked each aircraft to identify on initial contact. He said he did not because ZOB clearly told him where the commuter aircraft was on the handoff and that air carrier Y was 10 mi in trail. There is much disagreement on the part of the controller work force as to whether or not an identify is necessary if the transferring facility states the position of the aircraft clearly during a manual handoff. An identify would certainly have alleviated any confusion in this instance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC TRACON INTRAFAC COORD RADAR HDOF X MISIDENTED DSNDED BELOW MINIMUM VECTORING ALT. SYS ERROR.
Narrative: ARTS II WAS OUT FOR MAINT ON A SUNDAY MORNING WHEN TFC VOLUME IS NORMALLY LIGHT. I HAD JUST RELIEVED THE RADAR CTLR. DURING THE RELIEF BRIEFING HE POINTED TO THE BEACON TARGETS AS HE TOLD ME ABOUT EACH ACFT AND I REARRANGED MY STRIPS TO MY LIKING. ON THE HDOF FROM ZOB, A COMMUTER X WAS MANUALLY HANDED OFF, ACCORDING TO POS, IN FRONT OF ACR Y. THE RELIEVING CTLR POINTED TO THESE 2 TARGETS ON THE SCOPE IN THAT ORDER, THE COMMUTER X IN FRONT AND ACR Y IN TRAIL. I DSNDED THE COMMUTER X TO 2500 FT AND ASSIGNED A HDG TOWARD THE OM FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE COMMUTER THEN ASKED ME ABOUT A 2500 FT ANTENNA OFF HIS L SIDE. I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE WAS CONFUSION ON THE HDOF FROM ZOB TO BUF OR, ON THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING, AND THAT THE COMMUTER WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND ACFT AND WAS STILL IN A 4000 FT MINIMUM VECTORING AREA. I CLBED THE COMMUTER AND CONTINUED TO VECTOR BOTH ACFT TO THE ARPT. I ASKED THE RELIEVING CTLR IF HE HAD ASKED EACH ACFT TO IDENT ON INITIAL CONTACT. HE SAID HE DID NOT BECAUSE ZOB CLRLY TOLD HIM WHERE THE COMMUTER ACFT WAS ON THE HDOF AND THAT ACR Y WAS 10 MI IN TRAIL. THERE IS MUCH DISAGREEMENT ON THE PART OF THE CTLR WORK FORCE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT AN IDENT IS NECESSARY IF THE TRANSFERRING FACILITY STATES THE POS OF THE ACFT CLRLY DURING A MANUAL HDOF. AN IDENT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE ALLEVIATED ANY CONFUSION IN THIS INSTANCE.
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.