ARTCC interfacility coordination problem created a less than standard separation incident in adjacen...

Attributes
ACN	180171
Time
Date	199106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ekn
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc artcc : zid
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 6 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	180171
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	180172
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Light transport X stp direct sho aircraft at FL410. Washington center requested light transport X at or below FL230. Light transport X crossed washington center boundary out of FL244 descending to FL230. I tried to point out the aircraft to moore field sector as aircraft crossed the boundary. They could not take pointout due to traffic and separation was lost within 10 seconds. The problem started with washington center wanting the aircraft at such a low altitude and in a different stratum. Answer: leave the aircraft within the same stratum. Changing the stratum involves 2 more controllers. The intruder alert system did not activate at my sector. It did activate at another sector. 1 min and 2 seconds before loss of separation. If intruder alert had occurred on my scope I would have had ample time to turn the aircraft and increase his rate of descent to avoid loss of separation. Also, other controllers did not contact me to see if I was separating the involved aircraft. 3 other controllers knew of the 2 aircraft. I only knew of 1 of the 2 aircraft until it was too late. I was busy with vectoring and descending other aircraft is why I made a late pointout (crossing the boundary). Medium large transport Y pit./.ckb.ckb.179069.roa./.rdv was the other aircraft involved. Supplemental information from acn 180172: I just sat down on the D side position. Light transport X was already in the sector descending to FL240. I was reviewing the strips and did not see the problem. The right side did not point the descending aircraft (light transport X) out to the washington center sector moore field until too late to effect separation. Supplemental information from acn 180180: medium large transport Y was a slow clber and working cle center. Light transport X was working indianapolis center descending to FL230. Light transport X crossed washington center hi altitude sector boundary out of FL250 with no pointout to washington hi altitude sector. By the time conflict alert went off there was no time to do anything. The main cause of this incident was indianapolis center's failure to point out light transport X in a timely manner to washington center hi altitude sector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC INTERFAC COORD PROBLEM CREATED A LTSS INCIDENT IN ADJACENT ARTCC AIRSPACE.

Narrative: LTT X STP DIRECT SHO ACFT AT FL410. WASHINGTON CENTER REQUESTED LTT X AT OR BELOW FL230. LTT X CROSSED WASHINGTON CENTER BOUNDARY OUT OF FL244 DSNDING TO FL230. I TRIED TO POINT OUT THE ACFT TO MOORE FIELD SECTOR AS ACFT CROSSED THE BOUNDARY. THEY COULD NOT TAKE POINTOUT DUE TO TFC AND SEPARATION WAS LOST WITHIN 10 SECONDS. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH WASHINGTON CENTER WANTING THE ACFT AT SUCH A LOW ALT AND IN A DIFFERENT STRATUM. ANSWER: LEAVE THE ACFT WITHIN THE SAME STRATUM. CHANGING THE STRATUM INVOLVES 2 MORE CTLRS. THE INTRUDER ALERT SYS DID NOT ACTIVATE AT MY SECTOR. IT DID ACTIVATE AT ANOTHER SECTOR. 1 MIN AND 2 SECONDS BEFORE LOSS OF SEPARATION. IF INTRUDER ALERT HAD OCCURRED ON MY SCOPE I WOULD HAVE HAD AMPLE TIME TO TURN THE ACFT AND INCREASE HIS RATE OF DSCNT TO AVOID LOSS OF SEPARATION. ALSO, OTHER CTLRS DID NOT CONTACT ME TO SEE IF I WAS SEPARATING THE INVOLVED ACFT. 3 OTHER CTLRS KNEW OF THE 2 ACFT. I ONLY KNEW OF 1 OF THE 2 ACFT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. I WAS BUSY WITH VECTORING AND DSNDING OTHER ACFT IS WHY I MADE A LATE POINTOUT (XING THE BOUNDARY). MLG Y PIT./.CKB.CKB.179069.ROA./.RDV WAS THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 180172: I JUST SAT DOWN ON THE D SIDE POS. LTT X WAS ALREADY IN THE SECTOR DSNDING TO FL240. I WAS REVIEWING THE STRIPS AND DID NOT SEE THE PROBLEM. THE R SIDE DID NOT POINT THE DSNDING ACFT (LTT X) OUT TO THE WASHINGTON CENTER SECTOR MOORE FIELD UNTIL TOO LATE TO EFFECT SEPARATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 180180: MLG Y WAS A SLOW CLBER AND WORKING CLE CENTER. LTT X WAS WORKING INDIANAPOLIS CENTER DSNDING TO FL230. LTT X CROSSED WASHINGTON CENTER HI ALT SECTOR BOUNDARY OUT OF FL250 WITH NO POINTOUT TO WASHINGTON HI ALT SECTOR. BY THE TIME CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF THERE WAS NO TIME TO DO ANYTHING. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS INDIANAPOLIS CENTER'S FAILURE TO POINT OUT LTT X IN A TIMELY MANNER TO WASHINGTON CENTER HI ALT SECTOR.

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.

ARTCC interfacility coordination problem created a less than standard separation incident in adjacent ARTCC airspace.