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Dca TRACON approach controller attempts handoff of aircraft at 4000 ft to iad TRACON controller. As aircraft approachs iad boundary, iad controller coordinates for aircraft to be at 3000 ft. Dca controller assumes that he is authority/authorized to penetrate iad airspace. Iad controller tells dca controller to keep aircraft out of his airspace until aircraft is level at 3000 ft. Dca controller has already penetrated iad airspace. Both controllers initiate evasive control actions but separation was not maintained. Investigation idents change in some LOA routings and altitudes for iad complex airports.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 413331 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jyo |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca tracon : iad |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Starship Model 2000 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 41 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 413331 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 5000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
Narrative:
The best departed dca for jyo. He was issued a final of 4000 ft from the tower (normal for iad arrs). He was put in handoff status approximately 11 mi from iad boundary. Approximately 2 mi from boundary, iad called and asked that the best be descended to 3000 ft for traffic. He was, but no mention of handoff was made. Later, the iad controller said to keep the best out of the airspace until reaching 3000 ft. By this time it was too late to avoid conflict with iad downwind traffic. Both aircraft were turned to avoid one another. Even though they saw one another, separation was lost. In our investigation, we learned iad had a new procedure that took away approach control's ability to descend to 3000 ft where the conflict occurred, and our facility was not aware of this change. We also learned that the dca/iad LOA did not include any procedure for going from dca to most iad satellite airports. I feel earlier coordination, clear procedures and dca's knowledge of iad procedure change would have prevented this incident from occurring.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DCA TRACON APCH CTLR ATTEMPTS HDOF OF ACFT AT 4000 FT TO IAD TRACON CTLR. AS ACFT APCHS IAD BOUNDARY, IAD CTLR COORDINATES FOR ACFT TO BE AT 3000 FT. DCA CTLR ASSUMES THAT HE IS AUTH TO PENETRATE IAD AIRSPACE. IAD CTLR TELLS DCA CTLR TO KEEP ACFT OUT OF HIS AIRSPACE UNTIL ACFT IS LEVEL AT 3000 FT. DCA CTLR HAS ALREADY PENETRATED IAD AIRSPACE. BOTH CTLRS INITIATE EVASIVE CTL ACTIONS BUT SEPARATION WAS NOT MAINTAINED. INVESTIGATION IDENTS CHANGE IN SOME LOA ROUTINGS AND ALTS FOR IAD COMPLEX ARPTS.
Narrative: THE BEST DEPARTED DCA FOR JYO. HE WAS ISSUED A FINAL OF 4000 FT FROM THE TWR (NORMAL FOR IAD ARRS). HE WAS PUT IN HDOF STATUS APPROX 11 MI FROM IAD BOUNDARY. APPROX 2 MI FROM BOUNDARY, IAD CALLED AND ASKED THAT THE BEST BE DSNDED TO 3000 FT FOR TFC. HE WAS, BUT NO MENTION OF HDOF WAS MADE. LATER, THE IAD CTLR SAID TO KEEP THE BEST OUT OF THE AIRSPACE UNTIL REACHING 3000 FT. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH IAD DOWNWIND TFC. BOTH ACFT WERE TURNED TO AVOID ONE ANOTHER. EVEN THOUGH THEY SAW ONE ANOTHER, SEPARATION WAS LOST. IN OUR INVESTIGATION, WE LEARNED IAD HAD A NEW PROC THAT TOOK AWAY APCH CTL'S ABILITY TO DSND TO 3000 FT WHERE THE CONFLICT OCCURRED, AND OUR FACILITY WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS CHANGE. WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE DCA/IAD LOA DID NOT INCLUDE ANY PROC FOR GOING FROM DCA TO MOST IAD SATELLITE ARPTS. I FEEL EARLIER COORD, CLR PROCS AND DCA'S KNOWLEDGE OF IAD PROC CHANGE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING.
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.