Air carrier X engine shutdown unable to maintain altitude. Search and rescue alerted.

Attributes
ACN	205267
Time
Date	199203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bsy
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	205267
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On the date above I (the controller) was working the radar position of R41 at ZMA, in miami, fl. I was advised that an aircraft air carrier X had an engine shut down due to low oil pressure. I was told to prepare for this and my assistant was to coordination with miami approach control. The supervisor in charge at the time felt that he would bring search and rescue in on the emergency for extra precaution. This may have been a good idea during the part of the route that were non-radar. Air carrier X could not hold an altitude higher than FL180. The sector I was working is the arrival sector that feeds miami approach from the southeast. It was my responsibility to sequence all arrs to approach. I was the only person signed on the position, therefore I should have been making all my own control action plans. This is the problem. The emergency aircraft entered my airspace with the military spc, not one but 2 escort aircraft on IFR flight plans. Once the aircraft were in my sector the supervisor in charge also followed the situation around the room, telling controllers what to do with the airplanes that we are responsible for. My sector complexity increases very rapidly and my concentration level must by on my sector 100 percent, however I now had not only 1 supervisor but now 2 of them. The 2 supervisors were telling me what to do at the sector totally distracting me from my duties. Also the 2 supervisors are not current to work this position. Another problem in this was the lead coast guard was making turns in the positive control area without instruction to do so. This whole situation could have been avoided if there would not have been so many hands in the pot, so to speak. During this time frame 4 aircraft civil and military almost hit each other, all because of the FAA wide panic that we have to over do everything so safety won't be compromised. The safety of flight in the national airspace system is anything but safe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ENG SHUTDOWN UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. SEARCH AND RESCUE ALERTED.

Narrative: ON THE DATE ABOVE I (THE CTLR) WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS OF R41 AT ZMA, IN MIAMI, FL. I WAS ADVISED THAT AN ACFT ACR X HAD AN ENG SHUT DOWN DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE. I WAS TOLD TO PREPARE FOR THIS AND MY ASSISTANT WAS TO COORD WITH MIAMI APCH CTL. THE SUPVR IN CHARGE AT THE TIME FELT THAT HE WOULD BRING SEARCH AND RESCUE IN ON THE EMER FOR EXTRA PRECAUTION. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA DURING THE PART OF THE RTE THAT WERE NON-RADAR. ACR X COULD NOT HOLD AN ALT HIGHER THAN FL180. THE SECTOR I WAS WORKING IS THE ARR SECTOR THAT FEEDS MIAMI APCH FROM THE SE. IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SEQUENCE ALL ARRS TO APCH. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON SIGNED ON THE POS, THEREFORE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING ALL MY OWN CTL ACTION PLANS. THIS IS THE PROBLEM. THE EMER ACFT ENTERED MY AIRSPACE WITH THE MIL SPC, NOT ONE BUT 2 ESCORT ACFT ON IFR FLT PLANS. ONCE THE ACFT WERE IN MY SECTOR THE SUPVR IN CHARGE ALSO FOLLOWED THE SITUATION AROUND THE ROOM, TELLING CTLRS WHAT TO DO WITH THE AIRPLANES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. MY SECTOR COMPLEXITY INCREASES VERY RAPIDLY AND MY CONCENTRATION LEVEL MUST BY ON MY SECTOR 100 PERCENT, HOWEVER I NOW HAD NOT ONLY 1 SUPVR BUT NOW 2 OF THEM. THE 2 SUPVRS WERE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO AT THE SECTOR TOTALLY DISTRACTING ME FROM MY DUTIES. ALSO THE 2 SUPVRS ARE NOT CURRENT TO WORK THIS POS. ANOTHER PROBLEM IN THIS WAS THE LEAD COAST GUARD WAS MAKING TURNS IN THE PCA WITHOUT INSTRUCTION TO DO SO. THIS WHOLE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO MANY HANDS IN THE POT, SO TO SPEAK. DURING THIS TIME FRAME 4 ACFT CIVIL AND MIL ALMOST HIT EACH OTHER, ALL BECAUSE OF THE FAA WIDE PANIC THAT WE HAVE TO OVER DO EVERYTHING SO SAFETY WON'T BE COMPROMISED. THE SAFETY OF FLT IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYS IS ANYTHING BUT SAFE.

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.