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ZFW controller described incident involving en route aircraft that declared an emergency and started a descent causing a potential conflict at FL320.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 689828 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mlc.vortac |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 32000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 170/175 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 3 controller military : 5 controller radar : 1 flight time total : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 689828 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
The E170 was sbound at FL320. The MD80 was northbound at FL370. The MD80 requested to descend to check on a pressurization problem. I asked the pilot his requested altitude (FL250). I assigned FL330 and issued a 30 degree right turn for his descent and to attain lateral separation. The MD80 then declared an emergency and requested further descent. I instructed the MD80 to maintain FL330. The MD80 replied 'we are descending; we are an emergency.' at the same time I received a call from the sector controling the E170 telling me the E170 was responding to a TCAS RA.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZFW CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT INVOLVING ENRTE ACFT THAT DECLARED AN EMER AND STARTED A DSCNT CAUSING A POTENTIAL CONFLICT AT FL320.
Narrative: THE E170 WAS SBOUND AT FL320. THE MD80 WAS NBOUND AT FL370. THE MD80 REQUESTED TO DSND TO CHK ON A PRESSURIZATION PROB. I ASKED THE PLT HIS REQUESTED ALT (FL250). I ASSIGNED FL330 AND ISSUED A 30 DEG R TURN FOR HIS DSCNT AND TO ATTAIN LATERAL SEPARATION. THE MD80 THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED FURTHER DSCNT. I INSTRUCTED THE MD80 TO MAINTAIN FL330. THE MD80 REPLIED 'WE ARE DSNDING; WE ARE AN EMER.' AT THE SAME TIME I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SECTOR CTLING THE E170 TELLING ME THE E170 WAS RESPONDING TO A TCAS RA.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.