Narrative:

At cle; we just recently switched to 'color radar.' the color of the data tags are as follows: white = aircraft you are working; yellow = aircraft you are watching ('point outs'); green = aircraft being work by other people. This change was made to make it easier to keep track of your aircraft. On 5/mon/07; I was working the satellite north (san) position at cle. I took an IFR handoff from akron-canton approach (cak) on a PA25 (3000 ft) landing at put-in-bay; oh (3w2). About the same time; an AA5 departed elyria; oh (1g1) and requested his IFR clearance in the air. I issued the AA5 an IFR clearance; radar identified the aircraft and climbed him to 3000 ft. I issued a 170 degree heading to the AA5 to stay away from any cle departures. I initiated a handoff to departure. After making multiple transmissions to other aircraft and facilities; my scan continued across my airspace. Sometime while I was working other aircraft; departure took the handoff on the AA5. I did not see the flash associated with the handoff acceptance nor did I see the data-tag turn green. I continued scanning my aircraft; which are white tags; and scanned right over the tag of the AA5. Another controller then asked if 'I was going to climb that aircraft.' I looked down; remembered I had one aircraft that was going to departure in the southwest portion of my airspace; and climbed the PA28 (wrong aircraft). The pilot of the PA28 questioned my command. I checked his strip and realized that I should not have climbed him (which confused me for 5-10 seconds because he was the only aircraft that I had in that portion of my airspace [the only one on a white tag.]) I told the PA28 to 'maintain 3000 ft;' realized my mistake; and started to climb the AA5. While this was happening; the conflict alert started going off. I turned the north bound PA28 aircraft to a 270 degree heading and south bound AA5 to a 90 degree heading. One of the pilots got visual separation; after the turn; and advised that traffic was 'no factor.' aircraft then both continued on without any further incident. I feel the solution to this problem is easy. Data tags on aircraft that you handoff should not change colors (turn green). You should have to manually enter a command; once the aircraft is no longer a factor; that would either drop the tag and/or change the tag color. Before color radar; all of our tags were green and you were used to including all aircraft in your scan. As I stated in the beginning; color radar was brought in to help and it has. We just need to stop aircraft; that are still in our airspace; from changing colors. This is a problem that is becoming all too frequent and will one day produce deadly results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLE CTLR RPTS NEW AUTOMATION COLOR SCHEME FOR DATA TAGS REDUCES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CONTRIBUTED TO AN OPS ERROR.

Narrative: AT CLE; WE JUST RECENTLY SWITCHED TO 'COLOR RADAR.' THE COLOR OF THE DATA TAGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: WHITE = ACFT YOU ARE WORKING; YELLOW = ACFT YOU ARE WATCHING ('POINT OUTS'); GREEN = ACFT BEING WORK BY OTHER PEOPLE. THIS CHANGE WAS MADE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR ACFT. ON 5/MON/07; I WAS WORKING THE SATELLITE N (SAN) POSITION AT CLE. I TOOK AN IFR HANDOFF FROM AKRON-CANTON APCH (CAK) ON A PA25 (3000 FT) LNDG AT PUT-IN-BAY; OH (3W2). ABOUT THE SAME TIME; AN AA5 DEPARTED ELYRIA; OH (1G1) AND REQUESTED HIS IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR. I ISSUED THE AA5 AN IFR CLRNC; RADAR IDENTIFIED THE ACFT AND CLBED HIM TO 3000 FT. I ISSUED A 170 DEG HEADING TO THE AA5 TO STAY AWAY FROM ANY CLE DEPARTURES. I INITIATED A HANDOFF TO DEP. AFTER MAKING MULTIPLE TRANSMISSIONS TO OTHER ACFT AND FACILITIES; MY SCAN CONTINUED ACROSS MY AIRSPACE. SOMETIME WHILE I WAS WORKING OTHER ACFT; DEP TOOK THE HANDOFF ON THE AA5. I DID NOT SEE THE FLASH ASSOCIATED WITH THE HANDOFF ACCEPTANCE NOR DID I SEE THE DATA-TAG TURN GREEN. I CONTINUED SCANNING MY ACFT; WHICH ARE WHITE TAGS; AND SCANNED RIGHT OVER THE TAG OF THE AA5. ANOTHER CTLR THEN ASKED IF 'I WAS GOING TO CLB THAT ACFT.' I LOOKED DOWN; REMEMBERED I HAD ONE ACFT THAT WAS GOING TO DEP IN THE SW PORTION OF MY AIRSPACE; AND CLBED THE PA28 (WRONG ACFT). THE PLT OF THE PA28 QUESTIONED MY COMMAND. I CHKED HIS STRIP AND REALIZED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE CLBED HIM (WHICH CONFUSED ME FOR 5-10 SECONDS BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONLY ACFT THAT I HAD IN THAT PORTION OF MY AIRSPACE [THE ONLY ONE ON A WHITE TAG.]) I TOLD THE PA28 TO 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT;' REALIZED MY MISTAKE; AND STARTED TO CLB THE AA5. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING; THE CONFLICT ALERT STARTED GOING OFF. I TURNED THE N BOUND PA28 ACFT TO A 270 DEG HEADING AND S BOUND AA5 TO A 90 DEG HEADING. ONE OF THE PLTS GOT VISUAL SEPARATION; AFTER THE TURN; AND ADVISED THAT TFC WAS 'NO FACTOR.' ACFT THEN BOTH CONTINUED ON WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROB IS EASY. DATA TAGS ON ACFT THAT YOU HANDOFF SHOULD NOT CHANGE COLORS (TURN GREEN). YOU SHOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY ENTER A COMMAND; ONCE THE ACFT IS NO LONGER A FACTOR; THAT WOULD EITHER DROP THE TAG AND/OR CHANGE THE TAG COLOR. BEFORE COLOR RADAR; ALL OF OUR TAGS WERE GREEN AND YOU WERE USED TO INCLUDING ALL ACFT IN YOUR SCAN. AS I STATED IN THE BEGINNING; COLOR RADAR WAS BROUGHT IN TO HELP AND IT HAS. WE JUST NEED TO STOP ACFT; THAT ARE STILL IN OUR AIRSPACE; FROM CHANGING COLORS. THIS IS A PROB THAT IS BECOMING ALL TOO FREQUENT AND WILL ONE DAY PRODUCE DEADLY RESULTS.

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.