Narrative:

At approximately XA18Z on 8/fri/88, after sector briefing, I assumed responsibility of sector 44/43 at ZLC ARTCC. Traffic was very heavy and complex, the sector should have been decombined. Approximately 8 mins later, I cleared small transport X (currently at 15000' sebnd V269 eko to ely) for approach (no specific type approach was issued) to the ely airport. I advised him radar service terminated frequency change approved, and further instructed him to cancel IFR or report downtime through rno FSS. Radar contact was soon lost with aircraft, as is common below 14000' in this area. At XA34Z small transport Y reported over ely VOR climbing through 12500' for 16000' northbound V269. As ely is strictly one in one out, I questioned the d-side as to the status of small transport Y and was informed he indeed had been cleared for departure over 20 mins prior to this time. I then advised area supervisor of loss of sep, and was relieved of duties. Contributing factors: although small transport X (sebnd V293 at 15000') was less than 18 mins away from ely and small transport Y (with clearance to 16000' northbound V269), I was not informed of the fact that an aircraft (small transport Y) had a clearance off ely. This fact had been omitted by the controller being relieved. Due to amount and complexity of traffic, r-side to d-side communication was basically nonexistent as each raced to keep up with duties. Lack of adequate staffing to decombine sector previous to this as was necessary. Lack of adequate radar coverage (none below 14000') and radio coverage (none below 12000'). Recent relocation of ely FSS to rno FSS leaving no means of communication with aircraft on ground at ely. No clearance void time issued to small transport Y allowing him to tie up the area for over 20 mins, and possibly leading to the controller failing to advise me of his expected departure. Suggestions to prevent further occurrences: raise staffing minimums to allow for decombining of busy sectors or to provide for a third controller as necessary. Had small transport Y been departed in the computer, and a data block started at ely, this would have reminded the controller being relieved of the impending loss of sep. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that qap determined that sep was lost at approximately 9500', but since radar does not cover that altitude they were unable to determine how close the aircraft came. Very involved and complex system error. Reporter had relieved the supervisor who did not brief him on the small transport Y departure off ely. Flight progress strips did not reflect the small transport X being cleared for approach. Not sure if small transport X flight progress strip in ely bay. Deviation D controller had only 2 weeks certification on this sector and when relieved did not brief the new D controller on the fact that small transport Y was cleared out of ely and small transport on an approach to the airport. No void time given the small transport Y aircraft when clearance issued some 16 mins prior to the incident. Traffic vol moderate to heavy and reporter only on sector approximately 16 mins prior to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD NON RADAR SEPARATION BETWEEN ARRIVING AND DEPARTING SMT AT ELY, NV, ARPT. INCOMPLETE RELIEF BRIEFING AND FLT PROGRESS STRIPS NOT MARKED. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA18Z ON 8/FRI/88, AFTER SECTOR BRIEFING, I ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY OF SECTOR 44/43 AT ZLC ARTCC. TFC WAS VERY HVY AND COMPLEX, THE SECTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DECOMBINED. APPROX 8 MINS LATER, I CLRED SMT X (CURRENTLY AT 15000' SEBND V269 EKO TO ELY) FOR APCH (NO SPECIFIC TYPE APCH WAS ISSUED) TO THE ELY ARPT. I ADVISED HIM RADAR SVC TERMINATED FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, AND FURTHER INSTRUCTED HIM TO CANCEL IFR OR RPT DOWNTIME THROUGH RNO FSS. RADAR CONTACT WAS SOON LOST WITH ACFT, AS IS COMMON BELOW 14000' IN THIS AREA. AT XA34Z SMT Y RPTED OVER ELY VOR CLBING THROUGH 12500' FOR 16000' NBOUND V269. AS ELY IS STRICTLY ONE IN ONE OUT, I QUESTIONED THE D-SIDE AS TO THE STATUS OF SMT Y AND WAS INFORMED HE INDEED HAD BEEN CLRED FOR DEP OVER 20 MINS PRIOR TO THIS TIME. I THEN ADVISED AREA SUPVR OF LOSS OF SEP, AND WAS RELIEVED OF DUTIES. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ALTHOUGH SMT X (SEBND V293 AT 15000') WAS LESS THAN 18 MINS AWAY FROM ELY AND SMT Y (WITH CLRNC TO 16000' NBOUND V269), I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FACT THAT AN ACFT (SMT Y) HAD A CLRNC OFF ELY. THIS FACT HAD BEEN OMITTED BY THE CTLR BEING RELIEVED. DUE TO AMOUNT AND COMPLEXITY OF TFC, R-SIDE TO D-SIDE COM WAS BASICALLY NONEXISTENT AS EACH RACED TO KEEP UP WITH DUTIES. LACK OF ADEQUATE STAFFING TO DECOMBINE SECTOR PREVIOUS TO THIS AS WAS NECESSARY. LACK OF ADEQUATE RADAR COVERAGE (NONE BELOW 14000') AND RADIO COVERAGE (NONE BELOW 12000'). RECENT RELOCATION OF ELY FSS TO RNO FSS LEAVING NO MEANS OF COM WITH ACFT ON GND AT ELY. NO CLRNC VOID TIME ISSUED TO SMT Y ALLOWING HIM TO TIE UP THE AREA FOR OVER 20 MINS, AND POSSIBLY LEADING TO THE CTLR FAILING TO ADVISE ME OF HIS EXPECTED DEP. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT FURTHER OCCURRENCES: RAISE STAFFING MINIMUMS TO ALLOW FOR DECOMBINING OF BUSY SECTORS OR TO PROVIDE FOR A THIRD CTLR AS NECESSARY. HAD SMT Y BEEN DEPARTED IN THE COMPUTER, AND A DATA BLOCK STARTED AT ELY, THIS WOULD HAVE REMINDED THE CTLR BEING RELIEVED OF THE IMPENDING LOSS OF SEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT QAP DETERMINED THAT SEP WAS LOST AT APPROX 9500', BUT SINCE RADAR DOES NOT COVER THAT ALT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE THE ACFT CAME. VERY INVOLVED AND COMPLEX SYSTEM ERROR. RPTR HAD RELIEVED THE SUPVR WHO DID NOT BRIEF HIM ON THE SMT Y DEP OFF ELY. FLT PROGRESS STRIPS DID NOT REFLECT THE SMT X BEING CLRED FOR APCH. NOT SURE IF SMT X FLT PROGRESS STRIP IN ELY BAY. DEV D CTLR HAD ONLY 2 WKS CERTIFICATION ON THIS SECTOR AND WHEN RELIEVED DID NOT BRIEF THE NEW D CTLR ON THE FACT THAT SMT Y WAS CLRED OUT OF ELY AND SMT ON AN APCH TO THE ARPT. NO VOID TIME GIVEN THE SMT Y ACFT WHEN CLRNC ISSUED SOME 16 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. TFC VOL MODERATE TO HVY AND RPTR ONLY ON SECTOR APPROX 16 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

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.