 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier X had less than standard separation from air carrier Y on oceanic route. System error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 249312 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199308 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hou |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mmty artcc : zhu tower : den |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 249312 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : non radar |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 99999 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
Narrative:
Monterey center called houston oceanic sector and passed flight plans on air carrier X estimating argus at XX08Z at FL370. Then they passed air carrier Y estimating argus at XX21Z at FL290 (only altitude available). The oceanic manual controller told monterey that if he would issue crossing restrictions to air carrier X to cross argus at or before XX08Z and air carrier Y to cross argus at or after XX23Z and could have FL370. Monterey then informed the controller that air carrier X was now estimating argus at XX12Z. The controller informed monterey controller to issue crossing restrictions to air carrier X to cross argus at or before XX12Z and air carrier Y to cross argus at or after XX27Z and assign the same mach speeds and to call us with the mach speeds. Monterey called and said the assigned speeds were mach .78 plus for air carrier X and mach .78 minus for air carrier Y. Air carrier X checked on frequency over lulis at XX22Z (1 min late) at FL370. Air carrier Y then checked on frequency over argus at XX25Z at FL370. We asked air carrier X and air carrier Y if they were issued crossing restrictions. Both pilots said they were not issued crossing restriction, only speeds. I proceeded to call monterey center to get control of air carrier Y to give the aircraft a right 360 degree turn to get proper spacing. The monterey controller said he issued the crossing restrictions. This happens frequently with merida and monterey ctrs, forcing ZHU controllers to scramble to achieve separation. If they have no intentions of using crossing restrictions, they should not even take them. This lack of responsibility or accountability on the parts of merida or monterey ctrs is only going to cause ZHU controllers not to trust their counterparts in merida and monterey. And it will also cause delays due to aircraft not getting altitudes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y ON OCEANIC RTE. SYS ERROR.
Narrative: MONTEREY CTR CALLED HOUSTON OCEANIC SECTOR AND PASSED FLT PLANS ON ACR X ESTIMATING ARGUS AT XX08Z AT FL370. THEN THEY PASSED ACR Y ESTIMATING ARGUS AT XX21Z AT FL290 (ONLY ALT AVAILABLE). THE OCEANIC MANUAL CTLR TOLD MONTEREY THAT IF HE WOULD ISSUE XING RESTRICTIONS TO ACR X TO CROSS ARGUS AT OR BEFORE XX08Z AND ACR Y TO CROSS ARGUS AT OR AFTER XX23Z AND COULD HAVE FL370. MONTEREY THEN INFORMED THE CTLR THAT ACR X WAS NOW ESTIMATING ARGUS AT XX12Z. THE CTLR INFORMED MONTEREY CTLR TO ISSUE XING RESTRICTIONS TO ACR X TO CROSS ARGUS AT OR BEFORE XX12Z AND ACR Y TO CROSS ARGUS AT OR AFTER XX27Z AND ASSIGN THE SAME MACH SPDS AND TO CALL US WITH THE MACH SPDS. MONTEREY CALLED AND SAID THE ASSIGNED SPDS WERE MACH .78 PLUS FOR ACR X AND MACH .78 MINUS FOR ACR Y. ACR X CHKED ON FREQ OVER LULIS AT XX22Z (1 MIN LATE) AT FL370. ACR Y THEN CHKED ON FREQ OVER ARGUS AT XX25Z AT FL370. WE ASKED ACR X AND ACR Y IF THEY WERE ISSUED XING RESTRICTIONS. BOTH PLTS SAID THEY WERE NOT ISSUED XING RESTRICTION, ONLY SPDS. I PROCEEDED TO CALL MONTEREY CTR TO GET CTL OF ACR Y TO GIVE THE ACFT A R 360 DEG TURN TO GET PROPER SPACING. THE MONTEREY CTLR SAID HE ISSUED THE XING RESTRICTIONS. THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH MERIDA AND MONTEREY CTRS, FORCING ZHU CTLRS TO SCRAMBLE TO ACHIEVE SEPARATION. IF THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF USING XING RESTRICTIONS, THEY SHOULD NOT EVEN TAKE THEM. THIS LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OR ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE PARTS OF MERIDA OR MONTEREY CTRS IS ONLY GOING TO CAUSE ZHU CTLRS NOT TO TRUST THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN MERIDA AND MONTEREY. AND IT WILL ALSO CAUSE DELAYS DUE TO ACFT NOT GETTING ALTS.
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.