<< >> NASA ASRS Report 557364, August 2002

ZDV radar controller climbed traffic through FL310 occupied with a civil turbojet at cruise altitude resulting in a loss of separation.

Attributes
ACN	557364
Time
Date	200208
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dvv.vortac
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation I/SP
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	557364
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15000 vertical : 1700
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I believe I caused the situation to occur by not correctly evaluating the altitude of the climbing aircraft. The situation is one that happens numerous times daily with all the departure sectors in ZDV. We get false conflict alerts (ca) on departure aircraft with high altitude overflts. After a while these do not get the attention a 'ca' should get. It is the old cry wolf situation and I believe a dangerous one. I thought aircraft X was a departure out of bjc and not one out of gjt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDV RADAR CTLR CLBED TFC THROUGH FL310 OCCUPIED WITH A CIVIL TURBOJET AT CRUISE ALT RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I BELIEVE I CAUSED THE SIT TO OCCUR BY NOT CORRECTLY EVALUATING THE ALT OF THE CLBING ACFT. THE SIT IS ONE THAT HAPPENS NUMEROUS TIMES DAILY WITH ALL THE DEP SECTORS IN ZDV. WE GET FALSE CONFLICT ALERTS (CA) ON DEP ACFT WITH HIGH ALT OVERFLTS. AFTER A WHILE THESE DO NOT GET THE ATTN A 'CA' SHOULD GET. IT IS THE OLD CRY WOLF SIT AND I BELIEVE A DANGEROUS ONE. I THOUGHT ACFT X WAS A DEP OUT OF BJC AND NOT ONE OUT OF GJT.

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.