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ARTCC controller separated traffic descending to FL270 and traffic climbing to FL260. The climbing aircraft did not receive clearance to level at FL260.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 417607 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mzz |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
2 aircraft climbing/descending head-on. Stopped at FL270 and FL260. Climbing aircraft never got clearance to maintain FL260. Aircraft saw each other and reported past and clear. Sector was very busy. Super high sector above should have been opened. Fatigue might have been a factor. I was on the sector and very busy for 90 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: ARTCC controller stated climbing aircraft was in an adjacent sector being handed off. The d-side was training and not keeping up very well. The sector should have been split but staffing did not permit opening the super high sector. The controller said that there was time for the restr to be issued by the sector handing off. But poor ATC technique was used. The facility is wired with vscs equipment which allows the controller, while on a land line, to defer calls from pilots to either headset or speaker -- whatever is selected.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC CTLR SEPARATED TFC DSNDING TO FL270 AND TFC CLBING TO FL260. THE CLBING ACFT DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC TO LEVEL AT FL260.
Narrative: 2 ACFT CLBING/DSNDING HEAD-ON. STOPPED AT FL270 AND FL260. CLBING ACFT NEVER GOT CLRNC TO MAINTAIN FL260. ACFT SAW EACH OTHER AND RPTED PAST AND CLR. SECTOR WAS VERY BUSY. SUPER HIGH SECTOR ABOVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPENED. FATIGUE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. I WAS ON THE SECTOR AND VERY BUSY FOR 90 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ARTCC CTLR STATED CLBING ACFT WAS IN AN ADJACENT SECTOR BEING HANDED OFF. THE D-SIDE WAS TRAINING AND NOT KEEPING UP VERY WELL. THE SECTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPLIT BUT STAFFING DID NOT PERMIT OPENING THE SUPER HIGH SECTOR. THE CTLR SAID THAT THERE WAS TIME FOR THE RESTR TO BE ISSUED BY THE SECTOR HANDING OFF. BUT POOR ATC TECHNIQUE WAS USED. THE FACILITY IS WIRED WITH VSCS EQUIP WHICH ALLOWS THE CTLR, WHILE ON A LAND LINE, TO DEFER CALLS FROM PLTS TO EITHER HEADSET OR SPEAKER -- WHATEVER IS SELECTED.
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.