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Controller at cle TRACON reports a false beacon target was taken for traffic and he descended his aircraft for separation. The untracked target displayed altitude and the same beacon code as his aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 352320 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cle |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : cle |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 7 controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 352320 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
A B757 inbound to cle was at 7000 ft and I issued a turn to the downwind leg for runway 23L. As the aircraft started his turn I noticed another beacon slash untracked converging with my traffic. The untracked aircraft was at 7000 ft also. I took evasive action giving the B757 an immediate left turn and a descent to 6000 ft. Once the B757 started turning the traffic disappeared off the scope. Another controller got the beacon code which was the same as my B757's beacon code. I then realized that the intruding aircraft was really the false target or ring around from my B757. This occurs many times a day, however, the false target does not usually appear in conflict with real traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR AT CLE TRACON RPTS A FALSE BEACON TARGET WAS TAKEN FOR TFC AND HE DSNDED HIS ACFT FOR SEPARATION. THE UNTRACKED TARGET DISPLAYED ALT AND THE SAME BEACON CODE AS HIS ACFT.
Narrative: A B757 INBOUND TO CLE WAS AT 7000 FT AND I ISSUED A TURN TO THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 23L. AS THE ACFT STARTED HIS TURN I NOTICED ANOTHER BEACON SLASH UNTRACKED CONVERGING WITH MY TFC. THE UNTRACKED ACFT WAS AT 7000 FT ALSO. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION GIVING THE B757 AN IMMEDIATE L TURN AND A DSCNT TO 6000 FT. ONCE THE B757 STARTED TURNING THE TFC DISAPPEARED OFF THE SCOPE. ANOTHER CTLR GOT THE BEACON CODE WHICH WAS THE SAME AS MY B757'S BEACON CODE. I THEN REALIZED THAT THE INTRUDING ACFT WAS REALLY THE FALSE TARGET OR RING AROUND FROM MY B757. THIS OCCURS MANY TIMES A DAY, HOWEVER, THE FALSE TARGET DOES NOT USUALLY APPEAR IN CONFLICT WITH REAL TFC.
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.