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ZAU controller experienced operational error at FL290 because of confused coordination, new equipment and assumptions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 603621 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200312 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : dnv.vortac |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Citation II S2/Bravo |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 603621 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 14.25 |
| ASRS Report | 603622 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllerb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Aircraft X was level at FL290 handed off to ind high sector and aircraft Y was level at FL310 handed off to king sector. King requested control to descend aircraft Y, but d-side assumed king had handoff on aircraft X. Was descended to FL280. Aircraft X was descending. I quickly asked king what was going on, and then I expedited aircraft X to FL270. Uret is a causal factor because it is increasing the noise level at busy sectors. Supplemental information from acn 603622: sector was busy and complex. Working with uret increased the complexity of the sector and the workload. It creates more talking between the radar associate controllers. Uret needs to be looked at as a tool that may not be appropriate for all sectors at this time. As the radar associate controled and released control because the 4TH line of the data block showed a south heading, uret screen was too congested with data so I relied on the radar for my decision, thought the sectors had a handoff on both aircraft. It did not. The controller only had aircraft Y, which he descended. When I noticed the aircraft descended, I informed the radar controller.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZAU CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL290 BECAUSE OF CONFUSED COORD, NEW EQUIP AND ASSUMPTIONS.
Narrative: ACFT X WAS LEVEL AT FL290 HANDED OFF TO IND HIGH SECTOR AND ACFT Y WAS LEVEL AT FL310 HANDED OFF TO KING SECTOR. KING REQUESTED CTL TO DSND ACFT Y, BUT D-SIDE ASSUMED KING HAD HDOF ON ACFT X. WAS DSNDED TO FL280. ACFT X WAS DSNDING. I QUICKLY ASKED KING WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND THEN I EXPEDITED ACFT X TO FL270. URET IS A CAUSAL FACTOR BECAUSE IT IS INCREASING THE NOISE LEVEL AT BUSY SECTORS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 603622: SECTOR WAS BUSY AND COMPLEX. WORKING WITH URET INCREASED THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SECTOR AND THE WORKLOAD. IT CREATES MORE TALKING BTWN THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLRS. URET NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS A TOOL THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL SECTORS AT THIS TIME. AS THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLED AND RELEASED CTL BECAUSE THE 4TH LINE OF THE DATA BLOCK SHOWED A S HDG, URET SCREEN WAS TOO CONGESTED WITH DATA SO I RELIED ON THE RADAR FOR MY DECISION, THOUGHT THE SECTORS HAD A HDOF ON BOTH ACFT. IT DID NOT. THE CTLR ONLY HAD ACFT Y, WHICH HE DSNDED. WHEN I NOTICED THE ACFT DSNDED, I INFORMED THE RADAR CTLR.
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.