ARTCC radar controller was having radio problems and language barrier problems with a C550 at FL330. An air carrier B737 was descended to the same altitude as the C550 and cleared direct pie when able. Both aircraft deviating for WX. The B737 changed to the next sector and due to WX turned towards the C550 and responded to a TCASII RA. Facility management jointly blamed the controllers and the pilots for the loss of separation.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	370294
Time
Date	199705
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gnv
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx tower : bur
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation II S2/Bravo
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 19
ASRS Report	370294
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

The sector is an en route, arrival, departure sector. Numerous inbounds to mco and tpa. Almost all aircraft entering the sector has to be moved at least 2000 ft. Isolated thunderstorms in the airspace. The departure/arrival corridors are not being used well because of deviating aircraft, ie, head on. The center's radios were not working well, transmitters and receivers. Aircraft #2 was a foreign cpr pilot and did not speak good english. Aircraft #1 sbound to pie had asked to deviate right of course at FL350. Aircraft #2 is northbound climbing FL330 to FL350. I stopped him at FL330. Aircraft #2 is 8-10 NM lateral separated before aircraft #1 asked to deviate further away. Aircraft #1 turns right 20-30 degrees. I think I have enough lateral to descend aircraft #1. Aircraft #1 clearance is 'right of course direct pie when able.' after 8-10 NM aircraft #1 turns 50-60 degrees to the left and is aimed at aircraft #2. I had switched aircraft #1 a little early because of the bad frequencys. Aircraft #1 had an RA and descends. The next controller also turned aircraft #1 right. In my opinion aircraft #1 should have stayed right and the loss of separation would not have happened. But ZJX management has blamed both the controller and the pilot. I had lots of trouble getting aircraft #2 to acknowledge my clearance. I changed transmitter and receiver when a second aircraft reported my bad xmissions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS HAVING RADIO PROBS AND LANGUAGE BARRIER PROBS WITH A C550 AT FL330. AN ACR B737 WAS DSNDED TO THE SAME ALT AS THE C550 AND CLRED DIRECT PIE WHEN ABLE. BOTH ACFT DEVIATING FOR WX. THE B737 CHANGED TO THE NEXT SECTOR AND DUE TO WX TURNED TOWARDS THE C550 AND RESPONDED TO A TCASII RA. FACILITY MGMNT JOINTLY BLAMED THE CTLRS AND THE PLTS FOR THE LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: THE SECTOR IS AN ENRTE, ARR, DEP SECTOR. NUMEROUS INBOUNDS TO MCO AND TPA. ALMOST ALL ACFT ENTERING THE SECTOR HAS TO BE MOVED AT LEAST 2000 FT. ISOLATED TSTMS IN THE AIRSPACE. THE DEP/ARR CORRIDORS ARE NOT BEING USED WELL BECAUSE OF DEVIATING ACFT, IE, HEAD ON. THE CTR'S RADIOS WERE NOT WORKING WELL, XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS. ACFT #2 WAS A FOREIGN CPR PLT AND DID NOT SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH. ACFT #1 SBOUND TO PIE HAD ASKED TO DEVIATE R OF COURSE AT FL350. ACFT #2 IS NBOUND CLBING FL330 TO FL350. I STOPPED HIM AT FL330. ACFT #2 IS 8-10 NM LATERAL SEPARATED BEFORE ACFT #1 ASKED TO DEVIATE FURTHER AWAY. ACFT #1 TURNS R 20-30 DEGS. I THINK I HAVE ENOUGH LATERAL TO DSND ACFT #1. ACFT #1 CLRNC IS 'R OF COURSE DIRECT PIE WHEN ABLE.' AFTER 8-10 NM ACFT #1 TURNS 50-60 DEGS TO THE L AND IS AIMED AT ACFT #2. I HAD SWITCHED ACFT #1 A LITTLE EARLY BECAUSE OF THE BAD FREQS. ACFT #1 HAD AN RA AND DSNDS. THE NEXT CTLR ALSO TURNED ACFT #1 R. IN MY OPINION ACFT #1 SHOULD HAVE STAYED R AND THE LOSS OF SEPARATION WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. BUT ZJX MGMNT HAS BLAMED BOTH THE CTLR AND THE PLT. I HAD LOTS OF TROUBLE GETTING ACFT #2 TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CLRNC. I CHANGED XMITTER AND RECEIVER WHEN A SECOND ACFT RPTED MY BAD XMISSIONS.

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.