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An ARTCC radar controller issued a climb to one aircraft and a descent to another believing that separation could be maintained. The controller was not able to devote the attention needed due to heavy traffic load. When separation between the 2 aircraft became questionable, the controller issued turns, but not soon enough.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 379618 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fak |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 379618 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Air carrier Y was vectored off course and climbed to FL310 to get on top of a holding pattern at hopewell that he was going to be joining as soon as he got to FL310. (We were put into a hold for ewr and he was #5 to go into hold.) air carrier X was going to phl and descended to FL290. At the time, I did not think they were going to be a factor for one another. Air carrier Y was climbing very slowly (less than 500 FPM) and this was missed on the scan. Sector was very busy trying to get other aircraft established in hold. When I noticed that the vector and climb was not going to work, I turned both aircraft, but the turns were not soon enough to avoid the aircraft from coming within 5 mi of each other. The whole problem started when I was suddenly slammed into hold for ewr by the sector I was feeding. This more than tripled my workload in seconds. Our flow control unit did nothing to help the situation even though we had been in and out of hold for the last 2 hours. No prewarning of going back into hold had been given. If the FAA is going to continue to have a traffic management system, then they should start doing their job.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ARTCC RADAR CTLR ISSUED A CLB TO ONE ACFT AND A DSCNT TO ANOTHER BELIEVING THAT SEPARATION COULD BE MAINTAINED. THE CTLR WAS NOT ABLE TO DEVOTE THE ATTN NEEDED DUE TO HVY TFC LOAD. WHEN SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 ACFT BECAME QUESTIONABLE, THE CTLR ISSUED TURNS, BUT NOT SOON ENOUGH.
Narrative: ACR Y WAS VECTORED OFF COURSE AND CLBED TO FL310 TO GET ON TOP OF A HOLDING PATTERN AT HOPEWELL THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE JOINING AS SOON AS HE GOT TO FL310. (WE WERE PUT INTO A HOLD FOR EWR AND HE WAS #5 TO GO INTO HOLD.) ACR X WAS GOING TO PHL AND DSNDED TO FL290. AT THE TIME, I DID NOT THINK THEY WERE GOING TO BE A FACTOR FOR ONE ANOTHER. ACR Y WAS CLBING VERY SLOWLY (LESS THAN 500 FPM) AND THIS WAS MISSED ON THE SCAN. SECTOR WAS VERY BUSY TRYING TO GET OTHER ACFT ESTABLISHED IN HOLD. WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE VECTOR AND CLB WAS NOT GOING TO WORK, I TURNED BOTH ACFT, BUT THE TURNS WERE NOT SOON ENOUGH TO AVOID THE ACFT FROM COMING WITHIN 5 MI OF EACH OTHER. THE WHOLE PROB STARTED WHEN I WAS SUDDENLY SLAMMED INTO HOLD FOR EWR BY THE SECTOR I WAS FEEDING. THIS MORE THAN TRIPLED MY WORKLOAD IN SECONDS. OUR FLOW CTL UNIT DID NOTHING TO HELP THE SIT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF HOLD FOR THE LAST 2 HRS. NO PREWARNING OF GOING BACK INTO HOLD HAD BEEN GIVEN. IF THE FAA IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A TFC MGMNT SYS, THEN THEY SHOULD START DOING THEIR JOB.
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.