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Less than standard separation between two departing aircraft, with second aircraft late on changing from tower frequency to departure frequency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 171431 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199102 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ggg |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2700 msl bound upper : 3200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ggg tower : ggg tracon : ggg |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 171431 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Small aircraft Y was departed off runway 35. The departure controller assigned a heading of 040 degree and climb to 5000'. Approximately 3 mins passed and the departure controller then turned the small aircraft Y nnw bound in front of the departure course of ry 35. Local control then called off light transport X climbing to 4000', runway heading off runway 35. Departure did not restrict light transport X to a lower altitude, reference the small aircraft Y which is now 4 mi north of the airport climbing out of 3200' for 5000'. There was some trouble with communications between local control promptly switching light transport X to departure. By the time departure established communications with light transport X the planes were 2 mi apart converging with light transport X out of 2700' climbing to 4000' and the small aircraft was 3500' climbing to 5000'. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. In both cases the reporter was working the radar assist (rho) position and it appears he did not 'assist' in at least one of these problems. In first incident there was a delay in getting the light transport on departure control frequency, not sure if flight crew or tower problem, but aircraft should have been stopped at lower altitude or turned. In second case the radar controller was trying to apply diverging course sep, but did not have vertical sep to begin with. Reporter is 4 yr fpl and radar controller in both cases was experienced 'old timer'.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN TWO DEPARTING ACFT, WITH SECOND ACFT LATE ON CHANGING FROM TWR FREQ TO DEP FREQ.
Narrative: SMA Y WAS DEPARTED OFF RWY 35. THE DEP CTLR ASSIGNED A HDG OF 040 DEG AND CLB TO 5000'. APPROX 3 MINS PASSED AND THE DEP CTLR THEN TURNED THE SMA Y NNW BOUND IN FRONT OF THE DEP COURSE OF RY 35. LCL CTL THEN CALLED OFF LTT X CLBING TO 4000', RWY HDG OFF RWY 35. DEP DID NOT RESTRICT LTT X TO A LOWER ALT, REFERENCE THE SMA Y WHICH IS NOW 4 MI N OF THE ARPT CLBING OUT OF 3200' FOR 5000'. THERE WAS SOME TROUBLE WITH COMS BTWN LCL CTL PROMPTLY SWITCHING LTT X TO DEP. BY THE TIME DEP ESTABLISHED COMS WITH LTT X THE PLANES WERE 2 MI APART CONVERGING WITH LTT X OUT OF 2700' CLBING TO 4000' AND THE SMA WAS 3500' CLBING TO 5000'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. IN BOTH CASES THE RPTR WAS WORKING THE RADAR ASSIST (RHO) POS AND IT APPEARS HE DID NOT 'ASSIST' IN AT LEAST ONE OF THESE PROBS. IN FIRST INCIDENT THERE WAS A DELAY IN GETTING THE LTT ON DEP CTL FREQ, NOT SURE IF FLT CREW OR TWR PROB, BUT ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED AT LOWER ALT OR TURNED. IN SEC CASE THE RADAR CTLR WAS TRYING TO APPLY DIVERGING COURSE SEP, BUT DID NOT HAVE VERT SEP TO BEGIN WITH. RPTR IS 4 YR FPL AND RADAR CTLR IN BOTH CASES WAS EXPERIENCED 'OLD TIMER'.
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.