Air carrier X cftt. System error.

Attributes
ACN	293593
Time
Date	199501
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Merlin III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	293593
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

A flight had been rerted from south complex departure to a north complex departure, however, no one told the pilot. Once I discovered he had not been assigned the correct route, I became embroiled in coordination with 2 other control facilities and air carrier X was not correctly handled. For an unknown reason, the air carrier X did not properly acquire a data block on the radar scope. He called twice and did not get a response because I had been forced off the frequency to coordinate the misclred air carrier. When I returned, the still unidented air carrier X called again and asked what he was supposed to do. Several calls later he was idented and cleared on course. In the meantime, he very nearly hit the terrain. Evasive action was required. I am very thankful the cloud cover had risen enough to allow the pilot to see the mountains ahead. Also, better staffing at my facility would have prevented this occurrence. I should have been monitoring the frequency at all times, but was not able to.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CFTT. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: A FLT HAD BEEN RERTED FROM S COMPLEX DEP TO A N COMPLEX DEP, HOWEVER, NO ONE TOLD THE PLT. ONCE I DISCOVERED HE HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED THE CORRECT RTE, I BECAME EMBROILED IN COORD WITH 2 OTHER CTL FACILITIES AND ACR X WAS NOT CORRECTLY HANDLED. FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, THE ACR X DID NOT PROPERLY ACQUIRE A DATA BLOCK ON THE RADAR SCOPE. HE CALLED TWICE AND DID NOT GET A RESPONSE BECAUSE I HAD BEEN FORCED OFF THE FREQ TO COORDINATE THE MISCLRED ACR. WHEN I RETURNED, THE STILL UNIDENTED ACR X CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. SEVERAL CALLS LATER HE WAS IDENTED AND CLRED ON COURSE. IN THE MEANTIME, HE VERY NEARLY HIT THE TERRAIN. EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. I AM VERY THANKFUL THE CLOUD COVER HAD RISEN ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE PLT TO SEE THE MOUNTAINS AHEAD. ALSO, BETTER STAFFING AT MY FACILITY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE FREQ AT ALL TIMES, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO.

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.