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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Instructor ARTCC controller allowed trainee controller to climb a regional jet to FL290 with a B737 in cruise at FL280.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 561009 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200209 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : gld.vortac |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 12 |
| ASRS Report | 561009 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : developmental |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 22800 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Wbound B737 at FL280 was only aircraft at FL280 in sector. 13 total aircraft in sector. OJT was in progress (I was training an fpl who was current on the high altitude portion of the sector but was getting training time on the low altitude portion). Departure rush was occurring from denver and several conflictions needed to be solved on aircraft at both FL310 and FL330. Regional jet from den-mem departed requesting FL330 was told that FL290 would be a final altitude due to traffic. Regional jet filed den-plains 2 gck, which was a steep southern turn. Pilot requested direct routing. Trainee responded that he had his request. After regional jet made the southern turn toward gck (putting aircraft in conflict with B737), trainee issued direct mem to regional jet. Direct routing was not enough to separate aircraft. I pointed out the conflict to trainee who issued a 40 degree left turn to regional jet. Trainee issued a 40 degree left turn also to B737, who hesitated, then responded that he had an RA and was descending. Trainee told regional jet to expedite climb. I did not stand behind trainee, but was seated beside him offering suggestions for separation of aircraft by diverging rtes. Aircraft at FL280 was 'invisible,' surrounded by aircraft at FL310.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INSTRUCTOR ARTCC CTLR ALLOWED TRAINEE CTLR TO CLB A REGIONAL JET TO FL290 WITH A B737 IN CRUISE AT FL280.
Narrative: WBOUND B737 AT FL280 WAS ONLY ACFT AT FL280 IN SECTOR. 13 TOTAL ACFT IN SECTOR. OJT WAS IN PROGRESS (I WAS TRAINING AN FPL WHO WAS CURRENT ON THE HIGH ALT PORTION OF THE SECTOR BUT WAS GETTING TRAINING TIME ON THE LOW ALT PORTION). DEP RUSH WAS OCCURRING FROM DENVER AND SEVERAL CONFLICTIONS NEEDED TO BE SOLVED ON ACFT AT BOTH FL310 AND FL330. REGIONAL JET FROM DEN-MEM DEPARTED REQUESTING FL330 WAS TOLD THAT FL290 WOULD BE A FINAL ALT DUE TO TFC. REGIONAL JET FILED DEN-PLAINS 2 GCK, WHICH WAS A STEEP SOUTHERN TURN. PLT REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING. TRAINEE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD HIS REQUEST. AFTER REGIONAL JET MADE THE SOUTHERN TURN TOWARD GCK (PUTTING ACFT IN CONFLICT WITH B737), TRAINEE ISSUED DIRECT MEM TO REGIONAL JET. DIRECT ROUTING WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SEPARATE ACFT. I POINTED OUT THE CONFLICT TO TRAINEE WHO ISSUED A 40 DEG L TURN TO REGIONAL JET. TRAINEE ISSUED A 40 DEG L TURN ALSO TO B737, WHO HESITATED, THEN RESPONDED THAT HE HAD AN RA AND WAS DSNDING. TRAINEE TOLD REGIONAL JET TO EXPEDITE CLB. I DID NOT STAND BEHIND TRAINEE, BUT WAS SEATED BESIDE HIM OFFERING SUGGESTIONS FOR SEPARATION OF ACFT BY DIVERGING RTES. ACFT AT FL280 WAS 'INVISIBLE,' SURROUNDED BY ACFT AT FL310.
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.