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Controller failed to read flight progress strip. Operational deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 128922 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198911 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : btg |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8400 msl bound upper : 8400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : pdx |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 128922 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
Controller on position 5 min at time of occurrence. Small aircraft Y aircraft handed off by center to my sector higher than normal altitude in a descent. Checked in with me 35 ese. Flight progress strip placed in front of me. Sector at this point was beginning to get busy. Bulk of traffic located in western portion of airspace. Small aircraft Y aircraft descended to MVA and given vector of 290 to final sequence. Air carrier X checked in about 2 min later. Appeared to be normal position and altitude. Supervisor busy on monitoring adjacent sector pointed to air carrier X and small aircraft Y and asked about separation. Air carrier X and small aircraft Y converging same altitude about 5 mi apart. Small aircraft Y was turned to 270. Air carrier X was turned 320. No loss of separation. After reviewing situation and strips, discovered small aircraft Y was sent VFR on top on strip but data block indicated IFR. Small aircraft Y checked in but didn't verify altitude. This wasn't caught because of another frequency covering part of call and the aircraft being high anyway. Short time on position added to not paying full attention due to arranging physical items (strips, pens, chair, etc), setting up scope and checking alignment. To avoid in future: question any abnormal altitude or positioning. Read strips. Adjust (as much as possible) physical layout before taking sector. Scan! Unfortunate happening, but educational.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR FAILED TO READ FLT PROGRESS STRIP. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.
Narrative: CTLR ON POSITION 5 MIN AT TIME OF OCCURRENCE. SMA Y ACFT HANDED OFF BY CENTER TO MY SECTOR HIGHER THAN NORMAL ALT IN A DSCNT. CHECKED IN WITH ME 35 ESE. FLT PROGRESS STRIP PLACED IN FRONT OF ME. SECTOR AT THIS POINT WAS BEGINNING TO GET BUSY. BULK OF TFC LOCATED IN WESTERN PORTION OF AIRSPACE. SMA Y ACFT DESCENDED TO MVA AND GIVEN VECTOR OF 290 TO FINAL SEQUENCE. ACR X CHECKED IN ABOUT 2 MIN LATER. APPEARED TO BE NORMAL POSITION AND ALT. SUPVR BUSY ON MONITORING ADJACENT SECTOR POINTED TO ACR X AND SMA Y AND ASKED ABOUT SEPARATION. ACR X AND SMA Y CONVERGING SAME ALT ABOUT 5 MI APART. SMA Y WAS TURNED TO 270. ACR X WAS TURNED 320. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. AFTER REVIEWING SITUATION AND STRIPS, DISCOVERED SMA Y WAS SENT VFR ON TOP ON STRIP BUT DATA BLOCK INDICATED IFR. SMA Y CHECKED IN BUT DIDN'T VERIFY ALT. THIS WASN'T CAUGHT BECAUSE OF ANOTHER FREQ COVERING PART OF CALL AND THE ACFT BEING HIGH ANYWAY. SHORT TIME ON POSITION ADDED TO NOT PAYING FULL ATTN DUE TO ARRANGING PHYSICAL ITEMS (STRIPS, PENS, CHAIR, ETC), SETTING UP SCOPE AND CHECKING ALIGNMENT. TO AVOID IN FUTURE: QUESTION ANY ABNORMAL ALT OR POSITIONING. READ STRIPS. ADJUST (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE) PHYSICAL LAYOUT BEFORE TAKING SECTOR. SCAN! UNFORTUNATE HAPPENING, BUT EDUCATIONAL.
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.