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Controller climbed an aircraft through the altitude of another aircraft which resulted in less than standard separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 168378 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : eno |
| State Reference | DE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zdc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 5 controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 168378 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 27000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
This controller turned medium large transport X 20 degree to avoid a situation that had potential problems. This controller then climbed medium large transport X to 16000' and told pilot to expedite. Aircraft appeared to be 5 mi apart, conflict alert notices did not occur until after situation was 'less than minimum'. Data blocks were falling off scope since early in the shift. Supervisors were notified as written on FAA 7230-4 and logged by supervisors as a problem. Scope was not replaced until almost 5 hours after first notice. I think this was a contributing factor in so much as I'm not sure if climb clearance would have been initiated due to possible data block loss. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated the incident took place at 10000'. Aircraft involved were a medium large transport and an light transport. The time of the incident was 1800. Reporter stated also his workload was light but all the aircraft were in the same area. The data tags problem was intermittent on his scope. No other controller was having any problems with the data tag dropping off the target. His scope was removed after the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR CLIMBED AN ACFT THROUGH THE ALT OF ANOTHER ACFT WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.
Narrative: THIS CTLR TURNED MLG X 20 DEG TO AVOID A SITUATION THAT HAD POTENTIAL PROBS. THIS CTLR THEN CLBED MLG X TO 16000' AND TOLD PLT TO EXPEDITE. ACFT APPEARED TO BE 5 MI APART, CONFLICT ALERT NOTICES DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER SITUATION WAS 'LESS THAN MINIMUM'. DATA BLOCKS WERE FALLING OFF SCOPE SINCE EARLY IN THE SHIFT. SUPVRS WERE NOTIFIED AS WRITTEN ON FAA 7230-4 AND LOGGED BY SUPVRS AS A PROB. SCOPE WAS NOT REPLACED UNTIL ALMOST 5 HRS AFTER FIRST NOTICE. I THINK THIS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN SO MUCH AS I'M NOT SURE IF CLB CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN INITIATED DUE TO POSSIBLE DATA BLOCK LOSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT 10000'. ACFT INVOLVED WERE A MLG AND AN LTT. THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS 1800. RPTR STATED ALSO HIS WORKLOAD WAS LIGHT BUT ALL THE ACFT WERE IN THE SAME AREA. THE DATA TAGS PROB WAS INTERMITTENT ON HIS SCOPE. NO OTHER CTLR WAS HAVING ANY PROBS WITH THE DATA TAG DROPPING OFF THE TARGET. HIS SCOPE WAS REMOVED AFTER THE INCIDENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.