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An ARTCC radar controller erroneously transposed aircraft locations and climbed a learjet through an occupied altitude. The controller was distracted by attempts to split the sector.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 380473 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hnb |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31700 msl bound upper : 31700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid tower : n14 |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Gates Learjet Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| 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 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 380473 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 1300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
I climbed the learjet to FL310, reference the DC9, who was at FL330, heading east. The lear was heading north. In addition, there was an aircraft sbound climbing to FL330, on a heading to avoid the DC9. I was fairly busy at the time, and I was supposed to be splitting out the super-high sector at this time. While I was trying to accomplish a few last tasks before splitting out the super-high, I erroneously thought that the sbound aircraft was my initial traffic for the lear. Seeing that I had ample lateral separation with the sbound and the lear, I climbed the lear to FL370, having overlooked the DC9. When I realized my error, I tried to stop the lear before it began to climb, but was unable to do so. The reason training was a factor was that there was a new d-side trainee working next to me. Had there been an fpl, I would have asked him/her to split out the sector for me, thereby greatly decreasing my workload. Our center has not really had new d-side trainees for quite some time, so I was not used to the situation. Looking back, I believe I would have been better off getting a tracker to split off the sector for me. In addition, the super-high was already opened, with all the handoffs, just waiting to get a briefing from me. The longer I waited, the more confusing the briefing would be. I really wanted to get the briefing over with, but didn't feel I had the time just yet. I felt a tremendous amount of distraction with the whole situation. I think that my distraction was a key factor in this incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ARTCC RADAR CTLR ERRONEOUSLY TRANSPOSED ACFT LOCATIONS AND CLBED A LEARJET THROUGH AN OCCUPIED ALT. THE CTLR WAS DISTRACTED BY ATTEMPTS TO SPLIT THE SECTOR.
Narrative: I CLBED THE LEARJET TO FL310, REF THE DC9, WHO WAS AT FL330, HEADING E. THE LEAR WAS HEADING N. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ACFT SBOUND CLBING TO FL330, ON A HEADING TO AVOID THE DC9. I WAS FAIRLY BUSY AT THE TIME, AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPLITTING OUT THE SUPER-HIGH SECTOR AT THIS TIME. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH A FEW LAST TASKS BEFORE SPLITTING OUT THE SUPER-HIGH, I ERRONEOUSLY THOUGHT THAT THE SBOUND ACFT WAS MY INITIAL TFC FOR THE LEAR. SEEING THAT I HAD AMPLE LATERAL SEPARATION WITH THE SBOUND AND THE LEAR, I CLBED THE LEAR TO FL370, HAVING OVERLOOKED THE DC9. WHEN I REALIZED MY ERROR, I TRIED TO STOP THE LEAR BEFORE IT BEGAN TO CLB, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. THE REASON TRAINING WAS A FACTOR WAS THAT THERE WAS A NEW D-SIDE TRAINEE WORKING NEXT TO ME. HAD THERE BEEN AN FPL, I WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM/HER TO SPLIT OUT THE SECTOR FOR ME, THEREBY GREATLY DECREASING MY WORKLOAD. OUR CTR HAS NOT REALLY HAD NEW D-SIDE TRAINEES FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SO I WAS NOT USED TO THE SIT. LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF GETTING A TRACKER TO SPLIT OFF THE SECTOR FOR ME. IN ADDITION, THE SUPER-HIGH WAS ALREADY OPENED, WITH ALL THE HDOFS, JUST WAITING TO GET A BRIEFING FROM ME. THE LONGER I WAITED, THE MORE CONFUSING THE BRIEFING WOULD BE. I REALLY WANTED TO GET THE BRIEFING OVER WITH, BUT DIDN'T FEEL I HAD THE TIME JUST YET. I FELT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DISTR WITH THE WHOLE SIT. I THINK THAT MY DISTR WAS A KEY FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.
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.