Narrative:

The problem arose when radar controller took a handoff on a climbing aircraft from a sector south of us (the regional jet) and climbed a departure from the east to the same altitude (the T38). It was discovered when the supervisor told the radar to roll the range in so he could see his traffic because all the data blocks were overlapping. Contributing factors: the radar was working on a very dangerous range. The data was covering all the airspace and overlapping each other. The controller was only certified for about 2 weeks and this was his first radar position. The sector has to serve an en route and approach function which I think is too much. The south sector that handed off the regional jet didn't coordination the climb it was in. Corrective actions: don't have en route controllers working sectors with en route and terminal functions -- split them up! En route controllers are not very skilled at terminal functions in this case where only 1 sector of 6 is terminal. By the time you happen upon the sector, you're not very -proficient at it. The south sector handing off the climbing regional jet should have coordination the climb. It would be nice if, when you rolled the range out, the display would shrink the data blocks appropriately. It would be nice if the computer would offset the data blocks always! Supplemental information from acn 522132: I noticed that the sector traffic was building. I assigned a d-side to the sector. While attending to other duties, I still returned to the sector to watch. The controller was a newly certified r-ctlr. The controller was on 100 NM range -- too small for the amount of traffic. I questioned the range and controller changed it to 75 NM range. When that was done, I saw the commuter's altitude climb through FL192. The T38 was level at FL190 and turned to vhp on course. I asked if the commuter was climbing. The controller then saw traffic. Controller climbed the T38 to FL230, but adep had already activated. Because the controller had just turned the T38 towards vhp, conflict alert needed time to re-evaluate the situation. I feel that the primary reason for the adep was (operation error) the range in use, because the commuter's data block was overlapping another one. Once the range was changed, the controller saw that the commuter was climbing slowly through FL192 to FL200.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID PROVIDES RADAR ASSOCIATE TO NEWLY CERTIFIED CTLR WHEN OBSERVING TFC COMPLEXITY BUILD AND THE CTLR WORKING ON THE WRONG RADAR RANGE.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN RADAR CTLR TOOK A HDOF ON A CLBING ACFT FROM A SECTOR S OF US (THE REGIONAL JET) AND CLBED A DEP FROM THE E TO THE SAME ALT (THE T38). IT WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE SUPVR TOLD THE RADAR TO ROLL THE RANGE IN SO HE COULD SEE HIS TFC BECAUSE ALL THE DATA BLOCKS WERE OVERLAPPING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE RADAR WAS WORKING ON A VERY DANGEROUS RANGE. THE DATA WAS COVERING ALL THE AIRSPACE AND OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER. THE CTLR WAS ONLY CERTIFIED FOR ABOUT 2 WKS AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST RADAR POS. THE SECTOR HAS TO SERVE AN ENRTE AND APCH FUNCTION WHICH I THINK IS TOO MUCH. THE S SECTOR THAT HANDED OFF THE REGIONAL JET DIDN'T COORD THE CLB IT WAS IN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: DON'T HAVE ENRTE CTLRS WORKING SECTORS WITH ENRTE AND TERMINAL FUNCTIONS -- SPLIT THEM UP! ENRTE CTLRS ARE NOT VERY SKILLED AT TERMINAL FUNCTIONS IN THIS CASE WHERE ONLY 1 SECTOR OF 6 IS TERMINAL. BY THE TIME YOU HAPPEN UPON THE SECTOR, YOU'RE NOT VERY -PROFICIENT AT IT. THE S SECTOR HANDING OFF THE CLBING REGIONAL JET SHOULD HAVE COORD THE CLB. IT WOULD BE NICE IF, WHEN YOU ROLLED THE RANGE OUT, THE DISPLAY WOULD SHRINK THE DATA BLOCKS APPROPRIATELY. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE COMPUTER WOULD OFFSET THE DATA BLOCKS ALWAYS! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 522132: I NOTICED THAT THE SECTOR TFC WAS BUILDING. I ASSIGNED A D-SIDE TO THE SECTOR. WHILE ATTENDING TO OTHER DUTIES, I STILL RETURNED TO THE SECTOR TO WATCH. THE CTLR WAS A NEWLY CERTIFIED R-CTLR. THE CTLR WAS ON 100 NM RANGE -- TOO SMALL FOR THE AMOUNT OF TFC. I QUESTIONED THE RANGE AND CTLR CHANGED IT TO 75 NM RANGE. WHEN THAT WAS DONE, I SAW THE COMMUTER'S ALT CLB THROUGH FL192. THE T38 WAS LEVEL AT FL190 AND TURNED TO VHP ON COURSE. I ASKED IF THE COMMUTER WAS CLBING. THE CTLR THEN SAW TFC. CTLR CLBED THE T38 TO FL230, BUT ADEP HAD ALREADY ACTIVATED. BECAUSE THE CTLR HAD JUST TURNED THE T38 TOWARDS VHP, CONFLICT ALERT NEEDED TIME TO RE-EVALUATE THE SIT. I FEEL THAT THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE ADEP WAS (OP ERROR) THE RANGE IN USE, BECAUSE THE COMMUTER'S DATA BLOCK WAS OVERLAPPING ANOTHER ONE. ONCE THE RANGE WAS CHANGED, THE CTLR SAW THAT THE COMMUTER WAS CLBING SLOWLY THROUGH FL192 TO FL200.

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.