ARTCC radar controller misspoke altitude assignment to a B727 climbing out of cvg and had less than ...

Attributes
ACN	343198
Time
Date	199608
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dqn
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	343198
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 3 controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	343300
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 27600 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

On the evening of aug/xx/96, I was working the radar handoff position at day high sector. I was tracking for about 31 mins when the operational error occurred. Air carrier X, MD80, was wbound on J80 at FL280. Air carrier Y, B727, was climbing out of cvg over ffo direct djb on course. On initial contact the radar man climbed air carrier Y to FL250 and I updated the data block. We had been extremely busy for the previous 30 mins and we were gaining confidence that we were back completely under control and manageable. Soon thereafter the radar man cleared air carrier Y to FL270, I was off line coordinating. The tapes show air carrier Y read back FL370. After coordinating the r-side told me he climbed him to FL270 and I updated the data block. Soon thereafter air carrier Y asked the r-side to verify his assigned altitude and the r-side told the aircraft to maintain FL280 which air carrier Y read back, but it was the altitude of the traffic. I didn't update the data block from FL270 because I never heard the clearance, I didn't pick up on a bad read back because there was none. When he issued FL280 the air carrier Y read back FL280. The r-side never told me to update the data block to FL280 because he thought he cleared him to FL270 as data block showed. Also because of this, conflict alert never activated until air carrier Y broke through FL273 climbing to FL280 and that is when adep activated also. The r-side has 10 yrs experience and is widely known as a very fine controller. It was his first day back after vacation and he issued the wrong altitude and neither myself or the d-side caught it. Supplemental information from acn 343200: aircraft #1 passed approximately 4 and a half mi in front of aircraft #2 at FL280, and TCASII maneuvers were initiated by both aircraft. Sector volume and complexity at the time were very high, possibly contributing to the error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR MISSPOKE ALT ASSIGNMENT TO A B727 CLBING OUT OF CVG AND HAD LTSS OCCUR WITH AN MD80 AT FL280 NEAR DQN. TFC VOLUME WAS HVY AND ALL 3 POS AT THE SECTOR WERE MANNED. NO ONE CAUGHT THE ERROR UNTIL THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND THE ACFT WERE REACTING TO THEIR TCASII RAS.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF AUG/XX/96, I WAS WORKING THE RADAR HDOF POS AT DAY HIGH SECTOR. I WAS TRACKING FOR ABOUT 31 MINS WHEN THE OPERATIONAL ERROR OCCURRED. ACR X, MD80, WAS WBOUND ON J80 AT FL280. ACR Y, B727, WAS CLBING OUT OF CVG OVER FFO DIRECT DJB ON COURSE. ON INITIAL CONTACT THE RADAR MAN CLBED ACR Y TO FL250 AND I UPDATED THE DATA BLOCK. WE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY FOR THE PREVIOUS 30 MINS AND WE WERE GAINING CONFIDENCE THAT WE WERE BACK COMPLETELY UNDER CTL AND MANAGEABLE. SOON THEREAFTER THE RADAR MAN CLRED ACR Y TO FL270, I WAS OFF LINE COORDINATING. THE TAPES SHOW ACR Y READ BACK FL370. AFTER COORDINATING THE R-SIDE TOLD ME HE CLBED HIM TO FL270 AND I UPDATED THE DATA BLOCK. SOON THEREAFTER ACR Y ASKED THE R-SIDE TO VERIFY HIS ASSIGNED ALT AND THE R-SIDE TOLD THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN FL280 WHICH ACR Y READ BACK, BUT IT WAS THE ALT OF THE TFC. I DIDN'T UPDATE THE DATA BLOCK FROM FL270 BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD THE CLRNC, I DIDN'T PICK UP ON A BAD READ BACK BECAUSE THERE WAS NONE. WHEN HE ISSUED FL280 THE ACR Y READ BACK FL280. THE R-SIDE NEVER TOLD ME TO UPDATE THE DATA BLOCK TO FL280 BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE CLRED HIM TO FL270 AS DATA BLOCK SHOWED. ALSO BECAUSE OF THIS, CONFLICT ALERT NEVER ACTIVATED UNTIL ACR Y BROKE THROUGH FL273 CLBING TO FL280 AND THAT IS WHEN ADEP ACTIVATED ALSO. THE R-SIDE HAS 10 YRS EXPERIENCE AND IS WIDELY KNOWN AS A VERY FINE CTLR. IT WAS HIS FIRST DAY BACK AFTER VACATION AND HE ISSUED THE WRONG ALT AND NEITHER MYSELF OR THE D-SIDE CAUGHT IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 343200: ACFT #1 PASSED APPROX 4 AND A HALF MI IN FRONT OF ACFT #2 AT FL280, AND TCASII MANEUVERS WERE INITIATED BY BOTH ACFT. SECTOR VOLUME AND COMPLEXITY AT THE TIME WERE VERY HIGH, POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERROR.

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.