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Reporter had head-on traffic, didn't really take any action until the min that standard separation was lost between aircraft X and Y.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 437688 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199905 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 16 controller time certified in position1 : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 437688 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Aircraft X was eastbound, wrong for direction at FL350. Aircraft Y was wbound FL350, right for direction. The center was in darc only mode so there was no conflict alert. When the aircraft X checked on frequency I missed that he was at FL350 wrong. At about the same time the custodial service was running a steam cleaner in our area that was quite loud and could have been a factor. When I noticed the 2 aircraft in close proximity, my first thought was that I did not have a wbound aircraft X. At the same moment the aircraft X pilot said he saw the lights and was descending, I turned the aircraft Y and the aircraft X said he was turning too. I did not give the aircraft X a descent clearance because he was already responding and I did not want to confuse the issue. Looking back I think that if I would have given him one, there might not have been an error.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR HAD HEAD-ON TFC, DIDN'T REALLY TAKE ANY ACTION UNTIL THE MIN THAT STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN ACFT X AND Y.
Narrative: ACFT X WAS EBOUND, WRONG FOR DIRECTION AT FL350. ACFT Y WAS WBOUND FL350, RIGHT FOR DIRECTION. THE CTR WAS IN DARC ONLY MODE SO THERE WAS NO CONFLICT ALERT. WHEN THE ACFT X CHKED ON FREQ I MISSED THAT HE WAS AT FL350 WRONG. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE CUSTODIAL SVC WAS RUNNING A STEAM CLEANER IN OUR AREA THAT WAS QUITE LOUD AND COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. WHEN I NOTICED THE 2 ACFT IN CLOSE PROX, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT I DID NOT HAVE A WBOUND ACFT X. AT THE SAME MOMENT THE ACFT X PLT SAID HE SAW THE LIGHTS AND WAS DSNDING, I TURNED THE ACFT Y AND THE ACFT X SAID HE WAS TURNING TOO. I DID NOT GIVE THE ACFT X A DSCNT CLRNC BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY RESPONDING AND I DID NOT WANT TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE. LOOKING BACK I THINK THAT IF I WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM ONE, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AN ERROR.
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.