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Iad controller evidently distraction, neglecting to ensure separation between 2 air carrier's, while working combined control position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 457829 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : finks |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Challenger CL604 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j149.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 15 controller time certified in position1 : 11.5 |
| ASRS Report | 457829 |
| 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 |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15600 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was working a combined sector at a time of day which gets busy typically. My workload escalated quickly to a point that I could no longer pull my strips, much less mark them for control instruction accuracy. It was all I could do to just accept handoffs, talk/transmit, and initiate automated handoffs. I was working as fast as possible. My scan was over taxed by volume of aircraft. By the time I recognized a potential conflict, I later found out I had less than a standard separation. Each of the 2 sectors I was working combined, have inherent built-in crossing traffic spots. They each require much concentration and absolutely no margin for error, while using minimum separation. Anything less is seldom optional due to volume or other constraints. Combining turbojets with propeller driven aircraft on same rtes, and having to vector to accommodate for spacing. These are too common and work intensive. They all lead to problems. Thank goodness we catch them most of the time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: IAD CTLR EVIDENTLY DISTR, NEGLECTING TO ENSURE SEPARATION BTWN 2 ACR'S, WHILE WORKING COMBINED CTL POS.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING A COMBINED SECTOR AT A TIME OF DAY WHICH GETS BUSY TYPICALLY. MY WORKLOAD ESCALATED QUICKLY TO A POINT THAT I COULD NO LONGER PULL MY STRIPS, MUCH LESS MARK THEM FOR CTL INSTRUCTION ACCURACY. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO JUST ACCEPT HDOFS, TALK/XMIT, AND INITIATE AUTOMATED HDOFS. I WAS WORKING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. MY SCAN WAS OVER TAXED BY VOLUME OF ACFT. BY THE TIME I RECOGNIZED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT, I LATER FOUND OUT I HAD LESS THAN A STANDARD SEPARATION. EACH OF THE 2 SECTORS I WAS WORKING COMBINED, HAVE INHERENT BUILT-IN XING TFC SPOTS. THEY EACH REQUIRE MUCH CONCENTRATION AND ABSOLUTELY NO MARGIN FOR ERROR, WHILE USING MINIMUM SEPARATION. ANYTHING LESS IS SELDOM OPTIONAL DUE TO VOLUME OR OTHER CONSTRAINTS. COMBINING TURBOJETS WITH PROP DRIVEN ACFT ON SAME RTES, AND HAVING TO VECTOR TO ACCOMMODATE FOR SPACING. THESE ARE TOO COMMON AND WORK INTENSIVE. THEY ALL LEAD TO PROBS. THANK GOODNESS WE CATCH THEM MOST OF THE TIME.
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.