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A B777 on a vector at FL330 was erroneously cleared to FL370 by a ZID ARTCC radar controller resulting in a loss of separation with a C560 level at FL350 on an assigned direct routing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 638935 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200412 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : iiu.vortac |
| State Reference | KY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation V |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B777-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 3 controller radar : 1 controller time certified in position1 : 1 |
| ASRS Report | 638935 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 3 controller time certified in position1 : 3.25 |
| ASRS Report | 639100 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3-4 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 20000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
Narrative:
B777 climbing to FL370 east, and C560 descending north. Conflict alert activated. I shipped aircraft to other controller for control instructions immediately. Supplemental information from acn 639100: C560 at FL350 was switched to next sector. B777 interim at FL330. D-side to d-side coordination climb to FL370. Neither aircraft were on frequency. B777 should have just been left at FL330. It was busy and a lot of aircraft were transitioning altitude. Supplemental information from acn 639099: I was working wab sh radar. C560 checked on my frequency level at FL350. B777 was a pointout to my sector at FL330, eventually climbing to FL370. I observed B777's code C at FL334 and in a climb confign. FL330 was still in the data block as a temporary altitude. The aircraft were now in a confliction status and neither aircraft were in the lateral confines of my airspace. I called the batesville sh radar controller and informed them that I was turing C560 hard left. I then issued a clearance to C560 to turn left to a heading of 270 degrees. The aircraft responded, 'turning to a 270 degree heading, we have the traffic in sight!' as of this time, I understand that there was a communications breakdown between 2 sectors and their sector teams, just south of my sector. Supplemental information from acn 639708: we were northbound at FL350, going direct to private VOR (approximately 350 degree heading). Controller issued an immediate turn to 270 degrees, with subsequent instruction for an expedited descent to FL330. As we started the turn, we received a TA (TCASII only installed) and noted an airliner at our 12 O'clock position, eastbound, at FL350. It became obvious that the heading change, and subsequent altitude change, would eliminate the collision threat. In speaking to a supervisor at the center, it is my understanding that the controller had made an error in noting the correct altitude on the airliner's data block. There was also an error with the airliner being on the incorrect frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B777 ON A VECTOR AT FL330 WAS ERRONEOUSLY CLRED TO FL370 BY A ZID ARTCC RADAR CTLR RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH A C560 LEVEL AT FL350 ON AN ASSIGNED DIRECT ROUTING.
Narrative: B777 CLBING TO FL370 E, AND C560 DSNDING N. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED. I SHIPPED ACFT TO OTHER CTLR FOR CTL INSTRUCTIONS IMMEDIATELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639100: C560 AT FL350 WAS SWITCHED TO NEXT SECTOR. B777 INTERIM AT FL330. D-SIDE TO D-SIDE COORD CLB TO FL370. NEITHER ACFT WERE ON FREQ. B777 SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN LEFT AT FL330. IT WAS BUSY AND A LOT OF ACFT WERE TRANSITIONING ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639099: I WAS WORKING WAB SH RADAR. C560 CHKED ON MY FREQ LEVEL AT FL350. B777 WAS A POINTOUT TO MY SECTOR AT FL330, EVENTUALLY CLBING TO FL370. I OBSERVED B777'S CODE C AT FL334 AND IN A CLB CONFIGN. FL330 WAS STILL IN THE DATA BLOCK AS A TEMPORARY ALT. THE ACFT WERE NOW IN A CONFLICTION STATUS AND NEITHER ACFT WERE IN THE LATERAL CONFINES OF MY AIRSPACE. I CALLED THE BATESVILLE SH RADAR CTLR AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS TURING C560 HARD L. I THEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO C560 TO TURN L TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. THE ACFT RESPONDED, 'TURNING TO A 270 DEG HDG, WE HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT!' AS OF THIS TIME, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A COMS BREAKDOWN BTWN 2 SECTORS AND THEIR SECTOR TEAMS, JUST S OF MY SECTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639708: WE WERE NBOUND AT FL350, GOING DIRECT TO PVT VOR (APPROX 350 DEG HDG). CTLR ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 270 DEGS, WITH SUBSEQUENT INSTRUCTION FOR AN EXPEDITED DSCNT TO FL330. AS WE STARTED THE TURN, WE RECEIVED A TA (TCASII ONLY INSTALLED) AND NOTED AN AIRLINER AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, EBOUND, AT FL350. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE HDG CHANGE, AND SUBSEQUENT ALT CHANGE, WOULD ELIMINATE THE COLLISION THREAT. IN SPEAKING TO A SUPVR AT THE CTR, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CTLR HAD MADE AN ERROR IN NOTING THE CORRECT ALT ON THE AIRLINER'S DATA BLOCK. THERE WAS ALSO AN ERROR WITH THE AIRLINER BEING ON THE INCORRECT FREQ.
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.