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Less than standard separation when small aircraft is descended through the altitude of opposite direction small aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 86158 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198804 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : alb |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9800 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : alb |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors enroute airway : alb |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 86158 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Accepted ho of small aircraft X descending to 11000, landing alb. Already working small aircraft Y, on airway wbound, level at 10000 small aircraft X was issued descend and mountain 6000' anticipating descent rate and aircraft tracks to permit divergence. Attention was distracted due to a lack of a data man to perform coordination with a satellite airport. When I completed the necessary coordination and looked back at the scope I observed a potential conflict between aircraft. Still separated I issued a turn to small aircraft X, using wrong call sign. No action taken by aircraft. Then issued another turn and descent to small aircraft X including a traffic alert. Small aircraft X followed instructions. Separation was compromised due to distraction of non-control duties and then using wrong call sign. I will prevent recurrence by not allowing distraction from non-control duties and by attention to call signs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WHEN SMA IS DESCENDED THROUGH THE ALT OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION SMA.
Narrative: ACCEPTED HO OF SMA X DESCENDING TO 11000, LNDG ALB. ALREADY WORKING SMA Y, ON AIRWAY WBOUND, LEVEL AT 10000 SMA X WAS ISSUED DESCEND AND MOUNTAIN 6000' ANTICIPATING DESCENT RATE AND ACFT TRACKS TO PERMIT DIVERGENCE. ATTN WAS DISTRACTED DUE TO A LACK OF A DATA MAN TO PERFORM COORDINATION WITH A SATELLITE ARPT. WHEN I COMPLETED THE NECESSARY COORDINATION AND LOOKED BACK AT THE SCOPE I OBSERVED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN ACFT. STILL SEPARATED I ISSUED A TURN TO SMA X, USING WRONG CALL SIGN. NO ACTION TAKEN BY ACFT. THEN ISSUED ANOTHER TURN AND DESCENT TO SMA X INCLUDING A TFC ALERT. SMA X FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS. SEPARATION WAS COMPROMISED DUE TO DISTR OF NON-CTL DUTIES AND THEN USING WRONG CALL SIGN. I WILL PREVENT RECURRENCE BY NOT ALLOWING DISTR FROM NON-CTL DUTIES AND BY ATTN TO CALL SIGNS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.