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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Approach controller vectored a military flight of 2 C17 aircraft and descended them to clear an air carrier B737 that was passing through his airspace at the same altitude as the C17's. Maintenance was working on the radar and the military flight was slow to turn and descend. The reporter then turned the B737 to keep legal separation, but less than standard separation occurred anyway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 360868 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : chs |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : chs |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Military Transport |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : private |
| Experience | controller military : 3 controller radar : 6 flight time total : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 360868 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Military X, a flight of 2 C17's at 11000 ft inbound for chs from northwest, 40 mi. Air carrier Y nwbound to cae at 10000 ft. Military X was told to turn right heading 180 degrees and descend to 3000 ft. Air carrier Y was told to turn right heading 360 degrees around traffic. At time of turns aircraft were 20 NM apart. Meanwhile having numerous hardware errors with the ARTS iia equipment. Maintenance had been working on the ARTS for several hours. Air carrier Y reported traffic at 12 O'clock position. Radar indicated military X 10 mi northwest of air carrier Y position. I asked military X if he was heading 180 degrees. Military X advised 'in the turn.' I turned military X to heading 210 degrees and turned air carrier Y heading 030 degrees. Military X and air carrier Y passed approximately 2 mi on diverging headings, military X 10300 ft descending and air carrier Y at 10000 ft. Contributing factors: 1) continuous ARTS malfunctions distracting from scanning radar. 2) military X did not turn or start descending when told. If military X would have turned to 180 degrees when told air carrier Y would never have been closer than 10 mi.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: APCH CTLR VECTORED A MIL FLT OF 2 C17 ACFT AND DSNDED THEM TO CLR AN ACR B737 THAT WAS PASSING THROUGH HIS AIRSPACE AT THE SAME ALT AS THE C17'S. MAINT WAS WORKING ON THE RADAR AND THE MIL FLT WAS SLOW TO TURN AND DSND. THE RPTR THEN TURNED THE B737 TO KEEP LEGAL SEPARATION, BUT LTSS OCCURRED ANYWAY.
Narrative: MIL X, A FLT OF 2 C17'S AT 11000 FT INBOUND FOR CHS FROM NW, 40 MI. ACR Y NWBOUND TO CAE AT 10000 FT. MIL X WAS TOLD TO TURN R HDG 180 DEGS AND DSND TO 3000 FT. ACR Y WAS TOLD TO TURN R HDG 360 DEGS AROUND TFC. AT TIME OF TURNS ACFT WERE 20 NM APART. MEANWHILE HAVING NUMEROUS HARDWARE ERRORS WITH THE ARTS IIA EQUIP. MAINT HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE ARTS FOR SEVERAL HRS. ACR Y RPTED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. RADAR INDICATED MIL X 10 MI NW OF ACR Y POS. I ASKED MIL X IF HE WAS HDG 180 DEGS. MIL X ADVISED 'IN THE TURN.' I TURNED MIL X TO HDG 210 DEGS AND TURNED ACR Y HDG 030 DEGS. MIL X AND ACR Y PASSED APPROX 2 MI ON DIVERGING HEADINGS, MIL X 10300 FT DSNDING AND ACR Y AT 10000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CONTINUOUS ARTS MALFUNCTIONS DISTRACTING FROM SCANNING RADAR. 2) MIL X DID NOT TURN OR START DSNDING WHEN TOLD. IF MIL X WOULD HAVE TURNED TO 180 DEGS WHEN TOLD ACR Y WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN CLOSER THAN 10 MI.
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.