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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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ARTCC radar controller getting busy and had a handoff controller plugging in and separating the radar data blocks. A potential conflict less than standard separation situation was observed as the data blocks were separated. The controller attempted to descend a B737 and also turn the aircraft. When the descent instructions were not acted upon the controller turned the traffic, an air carrier DC9, and at that time both aircraft reacted to TCASII RA's. Controller stated the conflict alert activated too late, so it was no help.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 360808 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hvq |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28400 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 360808 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 21000 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Was getting a tracker who had been plugged in for less than 3 mins. Had difficulty establishing split mode in vscs. I told tracker to separate overlapping data blocks, which he did. At that time he saw the traffic for one of the previously overlapped data blocks. As he was pointing the situation out to me, I saw it too. I initiated an expeditious descent to one of the aircraft (X), which was landing a short distance away. No response from aircraft (X). I issued a turn of at least 90 degrees to a heading of 090 degrees. There was a pause and then that aircraft (X) said they were climbing in response to a TCASII RA. I turned the other aircraft (Y) at least 90 degrees to a 270 degree heading and he responded that he was descending for an RA. The aircraft would've passed laterally with 3.5 mi even if no action was taken. I believe I had time to establish standard separation, but that TCASII caused hesitation and confusion for the pilots. The radar associate controller was a contributing factor, in my opinion. With more help from that person the situation would never have come up. Conflict alert activated as I issued the descent clearance, so it was no help, either.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR GETTING BUSY AND HAD A HDOF CTLR PLUGGING IN AND SEPARATING THE RADAR DATA BLOCKS. A POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS SIT WAS OBSERVED AS THE DATA BLOCKS WERE SEPARATED. THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO DSND A B737 AND ALSO TURN THE ACFT. WHEN THE DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT ACTED UPON THE CTLR TURNED THE TFC, AN ACR DC9, AND AT THAT TIME BOTH ACFT REACTED TO TCASII RA'S. CTLR STATED THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED TOO LATE, SO IT WAS NO HELP.
Narrative: WAS GETTING A TRACKER WHO HAD BEEN PLUGGED IN FOR LESS THAN 3 MINS. HAD DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING SPLIT MODE IN VSCS. I TOLD TRACKER TO SEPARATE OVERLAPPING DATA BLOCKS, WHICH HE DID. AT THAT TIME HE SAW THE TFC FOR ONE OF THE PREVIOUSLY OVERLAPPED DATA BLOCKS. AS HE WAS POINTING THE SIT OUT TO ME, I SAW IT TOO. I INITIATED AN EXPEDITIOUS DSCNT TO ONE OF THE ACFT (X), WHICH WAS LNDG A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. NO RESPONSE FROM ACFT (X). I ISSUED A TURN OF AT LEAST 90 DEGS TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. THERE WAS A PAUSE AND THEN THAT ACFT (X) SAID THEY WERE CLBING IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA. I TURNED THE OTHER ACFT (Y) AT LEAST 90 DEGS TO A 270 DEG HDG AND HE RESPONDED THAT HE WAS DSNDING FOR AN RA. THE ACFT WOULD'VE PASSED LATERALLY WITH 3.5 MI EVEN IF NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. I BELIEVE I HAD TIME TO ESTABLISH STANDARD SEPARATION, BUT THAT TCASII CAUSED HESITATION AND CONFUSION FOR THE PLTS. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, IN MY OPINION. WITH MORE HELP FROM THAT PERSON THE SIT WOULD NEVER HAVE COME UP. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AS I ISSUED THE DSCNT CLRNC, SO IT WAS NO HELP, EITHER.
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.