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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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ZNY controller described incident when atops equipment failed to detect and notify controller of possible loss of separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 717898 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200611 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zny.artcc |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : non radar controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 22 |
| ASRS Report | 717898 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | computer equipment : zny.artcc |
Narrative:
Air carrier X flight plan showed routing A699 burtt R513 jains. He made a position report at a wrong altitude; the atops computer failed to recognize that along with the wrong altitude he was also flying a wrong route. The altitude ended up being a mistake; however he was flying a route other than what was in the computer. This resulted in 2 airplanes at the same altitude being estimated over the same fix with somewhere between 0 and 2 mins separation (normal separation is 15 mins). The atops computer; which is responsible for verifying that aircraft are separated never alerted anyone of this situation. The 2 aircraft came within approximately 20 mi (my estimate) of each other on converging courses before separation was achieved; again without the atops computer ever recognizing these 2 aircraft were headed towards each other.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZNY CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN ATOPS EQUIP FAILED TO DETECT AND NOTIFY CTLR OF POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEPARATION.
Narrative: ACR X FLT PLAN SHOWED ROUTING A699 BURTT R513 JAINS. HE MADE A POS RPT AT A WRONG ALT; THE ATOPS COMPUTER FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALONG WITH THE WRONG ALT HE WAS ALSO FLYING A WRONG RTE. THE ALT ENDED UP BEING A MISTAKE; HOWEVER HE WAS FLYING A RTE OTHER THAN WHAT WAS IN THE COMPUTER. THIS RESULTED IN 2 AIRPLANES AT THE SAME ALT BEING ESTIMATED OVER THE SAME FIX WITH SOMEWHERE BTWN 0 AND 2 MINS SEPARATION (NORMAL SEPARATION IS 15 MINS). THE ATOPS COMPUTER; WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING THAT ACFT ARE SEPARATED NEVER ALERTED ANYONE OF THIS SITUATION. THE 2 ACFT CAME WITHIN APPROX 20 MI (MY ESTIMATE) OF EACH OTHER ON CONVERGING COURSES BEFORE SEPARATION WAS ACHIEVED; AGAIN WITHOUT THE ATOPS COMPUTER EVER RECOGNIZING THESE 2 ACFT WERE HEADED TOWARDS EACH OTHER.
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.