Narrative:

I was working a 'D' sector with WX extended north of gup, 30 mi and south of sjn, 40 mi. The 'right' side is a 6 month fpl with limited WX experience. We were working about 12 aircraft at the time. The WX deviations were extensive. At approximately XX30 pm air carrier X was inbound to abq from inw at FL290. South of air carrier X was air carrier Y a B737 phx to oma at FL270 wanting FL330 as the final. And a flight of 4 military B1's were wbound abq direct eed radials in the block FL280 B290. When the military B1's checked on frequency they requested a higher block altitude FL310 B330. The military B1's were head on with the air carrier X inbound from the start. My right side assigned the air carrier X present heading for another aircraft which was no factor for what happened later. 3-4 mins before the air carrier X jet would have hit the military B1's conflict alert was activated. My right side descended the air carrier X inbound to FL270 which is the bottom of sector 93's airspace. As soon as she did this I called sector 17 to get a lower altitude for the inbound which sector 17 released 16000 ft. I told her to give the air carrier X 16000 ft. Her clearance was air carrier X descend and maintain FL270 then maintain 16000 ft. When she put FL270 in the data block conflict alert activated with air carrier Y and air carrier X inbound. It was still flashing with the military B1's and the air carrier X inbound. As this was happening, sector 17 called me back and asked us to miss a king air northbound 40 mi northeast of sjn to 50 mi west of fmn at FL260. I showed the traffic to my right side and told her to miss this aircraft also. The air carrier X was slowly descending approximately 12 mi apart converging with the military B1's. I told my right side to climb the military B1's to FL310 B330 which she did. The air carrier X inbound not clear on the clearance leveled at FL270 which was now tied with the air carrier Y at FL270 about 7 mi apart converging. I told my right side to turn them out which she turned air carrier Y 40 degrees right expedite the turn. Then she tried to turn the air carrier X inbound 40 degrees left expedite the turn, which the air carrier X replied we cannot turn left because of the WX. At this time the aircraft were about 5 mi apart, still converging. I told my right side to descend the air carrier X inbound immediately. At the time I knew we were going to lose separation but I didn't want them to hit. She issued an immediate descent to the air carrier X. Conflict alert was still activated. When the beacons touched I couldn't tell what altitudes they were at because the data blocks were slightly overtopped. The whole time a supervisor was watching over our shoulders. As the beacons overlapped the supervisor went up to the area manager's deck to pick up the paperwork on the loss of separation. When he came back around I asked him if it printed and he said no it didn't. And to this day I don't know how it didn't print. In conclusion I feel a new fpl should get more training in WX before they are certified and or they should be removed from the sector until this training can be accomplished. I firmly believe that had I not been on the D side telling her what to do she would have lost separation, if we didn't anyway, and possibly let them hit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONTENDS THAT RECENTLY CERTIFIED FPL DID NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND CAUSED AN OPERROR DUE TO WX AND TFC COMPLEXITY. RPTR, WHO WAS ASSISTING, TRIED TO PREVENT ERROR BY COORD AND SUGGESTING ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONS. RPTR STATES THAT NEWLY CERTIFIED FPL'S SHOULD HAVE MORE TRAINING TO BROADEN THEIR BACKGROUND.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A 'D' SECTOR WITH WX EXTENDED N OF GUP, 30 MI AND S OF SJN, 40 MI. THE 'R' SIDE IS A 6 MONTH FPL WITH LIMITED WX EXPERIENCE. WE WERE WORKING ABOUT 12 ACFT AT THE TIME. THE WX DEVS WERE EXTENSIVE. AT APPROX XX30 PM ACR X WAS INBOUND TO ABQ FROM INW AT FL290. S OF ACR X WAS ACR Y A B737 PHX TO OMA AT FL270 WANTING FL330 AS THE FINAL. AND A FLT OF 4 MIL B1'S WERE WBOUND ABQ DIRECT EED RADIALS IN THE BLOCK FL280 B290. WHEN THE MIL B1'S CHKED ON FREQ THEY REQUESTED A HIGHER BLOCK ALT FL310 B330. THE MIL B1'S WERE HEAD ON WITH THE ACR X INBOUND FROM THE START. MY R SIDE ASSIGNED THE ACR X PRESENT HEADING FOR ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS NO FACTOR FOR WHAT HAPPENED LATER. 3-4 MINS BEFORE THE ACR X JET WOULD HAVE HIT THE MIL B1'S CONFLICT ALERT WAS ACTIVATED. MY R SIDE DSNDED THE ACR X INBOUND TO FL270 WHICH IS THE BOTTOM OF SECTOR 93'S AIRSPACE. AS SOON AS SHE DID THIS I CALLED SECTOR 17 TO GET A LOWER ALT FOR THE INBOUND WHICH SECTOR 17 RELEASED 16000 FT. I TOLD HER TO GIVE THE ACR X 16000 FT. HER CLRNC WAS ACR X DSND AND MAINTAIN FL270 THEN MAINTAIN 16000 FT. WHEN SHE PUT FL270 IN THE DATA BLOCK CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED WITH ACR Y AND ACR X INBOUND. IT WAS STILL FLASHING WITH THE MIL B1'S AND THE ACR X INBOUND. AS THIS WAS HAPPENING, SECTOR 17 CALLED ME BACK AND ASKED US TO MISS A KING AIR NBOUND 40 MI NE OF SJN TO 50 MI W OF FMN AT FL260. I SHOWED THE TFC TO MY R SIDE AND TOLD HER TO MISS THIS ACFT ALSO. THE ACR X WAS SLOWLY DSNDING APPROX 12 MI APART CONVERGING WITH THE MIL B1'S. I TOLD MY R SIDE TO CLB THE MIL B1'S TO FL310 B330 WHICH SHE DID. THE ACR X INBOUND NOT CLR ON THE CLRNC LEVELED AT FL270 WHICH WAS NOW TIED WITH THE ACR Y AT FL270 ABOUT 7 MI APART CONVERGING. I TOLD MY R SIDE TO TURN THEM OUT WHICH SHE TURNED ACR Y 40 DEGS R EXPEDITE THE TURN. THEN SHE TRIED TO TURN THE ACR X INBOUND 40 DEGS L EXPEDITE THE TURN, WHICH THE ACR X REPLIED WE CANNOT TURN L BECAUSE OF THE WX. AT THIS TIME THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 5 MI APART, STILL CONVERGING. I TOLD MY R SIDE TO DSND THE ACR X INBOUND IMMEDIATELY. AT THE TIME I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO LOSE SEPARATION BUT I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO HIT. SHE ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO THE ACR X. CONFLICT ALERT WAS STILL ACTIVATED. WHEN THE BEACONS TOUCHED I COULDN'T TELL WHAT ALTS THEY WERE AT BECAUSE THE DATA BLOCKS WERE SLIGHTLY OVERTOPPED. THE WHOLE TIME A SUPVR WAS WATCHING OVER OUR SHOULDERS. AS THE BEACONS OVERLAPPED THE SUPVR WENT UP TO THE AREA MGR'S DECK TO PICK UP THE PAPERWORK ON THE LOSS OF SEPARATION. WHEN HE CAME BACK AROUND I ASKED HIM IF IT PRINTED AND HE SAID NO IT DIDN'T. AND TO THIS DAY I DON'T KNOW HOW IT DIDN'T PRINT. IN CONCLUSION I FEEL A NEW FPL SHOULD GET MORE TRAINING IN WX BEFORE THEY ARE CERTIFIED AND OR THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE SECTOR UNTIL THIS TRAINING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT HAD I NOT BEEN ON THE D SIDE TELLING HER WHAT TO DO SHE WOULD HAVE LOST SEPARATION, IF WE DIDN'T ANYWAY, AND POSSIBLY LET THEM HIT.

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.