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Working a very busy sector, a ZDC ARTCC controller misjudged a heading assignment resulting in a loss of separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 575357 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200303 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : ric.vortac |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 20 controller time certified in position1 : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 575357 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller time certified in position1 : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 575505 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Had 2 ewr aircraft that needed 20 mi in trail and 3 phl aircraft needed 20 mi in trail all within 15 mi of each other. Additionally, 2 of the phl traffic needed descent through overflts and the vectored ewr traffic. I was a very complex group of air traffic problems. I thought that the vectors I gave air carrier X were parallel with air carrier Y before I gave him descent, but he apparently was not. Supplemental information from acn 575505: I plugged into the d-side just as the radar controller was issuing immediate turns to 2 air carrier's. They lost separation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WORKING A VERY BUSY SECTOR, A ZDC ARTCC CTLR MISJUDGED A HDG ASSIGNMENT RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION.
Narrative: HAD 2 EWR ACFT THAT NEEDED 20 MI IN TRAIL AND 3 PHL ACFT NEEDED 20 MI IN TRAIL ALL WITHIN 15 MI OF EACH OTHER. ADDITIONALLY, 2 OF THE PHL TFC NEEDED DSCNT THROUGH OVERFLTS AND THE VECTORED EWR TFC. I WAS A VERY COMPLEX GROUP OF AIR TFC PROBS. I THOUGHT THAT THE VECTORS I GAVE ACR X WERE PARALLEL WITH ACR Y BEFORE I GAVE HIM DSCNT, BUT HE APPARENTLY WAS NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 575505: I PLUGGED INTO THE D-SIDE JUST AS THE RADAR CTLR WAS ISSUING IMMEDIATE TURNS TO 2 ACR'S. THEY LOST SEPARATION.
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.