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2 air carrier aircraft on converging courses and same altitude are not in communications with the controller. First attempts to contact both aircraft through commercial radio are not successful. Radio contact with one aircraft is finally made through the adjacent ARTCC facility where a descent and turn is issued, however, less than standard separation still occurred.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340774 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pxv |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme artcc : zkc artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : flight data |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 5 |
| ASRS Report | 340774 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 341054 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Narrative:
2 aircraft at the same altitude converged at pxv. Both aircraft were NORDO. One aircraft was just handed off from ZME, the other was just handed off to us from ZKC. We tried to commercial radio them and other procedures to get ahold of them. ZKC finally got ahold of one of them and turned him and descended him to FL310. However, separation was already lost. Also, both aircraft had TCASII but neither got an RA alert. One of them later phoned our center and said he had the other in sight the whole time. Supplemental information from acn 341054: as a handoff controller, my job was to coordinate with surrounding facilities to try to find either of these aircraft and arrange for evasive action in the event that they called somebody. These aircraft were, to coin a phrase, welded at pxv. I was frankly uncertain they would miss each other until they were 1 min from projected impact. A major contributing factor in this was the traffic saturation at my sector (pxv H1), ZME (hop H1) and ZKC (fam H1) due to central flow control's inept traffic management. Contact me if you need any more information.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 2 ACR ACFT ON CONVERGING COURSES AND SAME ALT ARE NOT IN COMS WITH THE CTLR. FIRST ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT BOTH ACFT THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL. RADIO CONTACT WITH ONE ACFT IS FINALLY MADE THROUGH THE ADJACENT ARTCC FACILITY WHERE A DSCNT AND TURN IS ISSUED, HOWEVER, LTSS STILL OCCURRED.
Narrative: 2 ACFT AT THE SAME ALT CONVERGED AT PXV. BOTH ACFT WERE NORDO. ONE ACFT WAS JUST HANDED OFF FROM ZME, THE OTHER WAS JUST HANDED OFF TO US FROM ZKC. WE TRIED TO COMMERCIAL RADIO THEM AND OTHER PROCS TO GET AHOLD OF THEM. ZKC FINALLY GOT AHOLD OF ONE OF THEM AND TURNED HIM AND DSNDED HIM TO FL310. HOWEVER, SEPARATION WAS ALREADY LOST. ALSO, BOTH ACFT HAD TCASII BUT NEITHER GOT AN RA ALERT. ONE OF THEM LATER PHONED OUR CTR AND SAID HE HAD THE OTHER IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 341054: AS A HDOF CTLR, MY JOB WAS TO COORDINATE WITH SURROUNDING FACILITIES TO TRY TO FIND EITHER OF THESE ACFT AND ARRANGE FOR EVASIVE ACTION IN THE EVENT THAT THEY CALLED SOMEBODY. THESE ACFT WERE, TO COIN A PHRASE, WELDED AT PXV. I WAS FRANKLY UNCERTAIN THEY WOULD MISS EACH OTHER UNTIL THEY WERE 1 MIN FROM PROJECTED IMPACT. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS WAS THE TFC SATURATION AT MY SECTOR (PXV H1), ZME (HOP H1) AND ZKC (FAM H1) DUE TO CENTRAL FLOW CTL'S INEPT TFC MGMNT. CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED ANY MORE INFO.
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.