Narrative:

This is a summary of events of an incident which occurred on nov/xx/96, at XA30 am. The incident involved 3 aircraft and took place over allentown, PA. I was the radar controller at sector 74 in the ZNY. I had 10 aircraft on my frequency at the time, and was moderately busy. Aircraft #1 was in level cruise flight at 13000 ft on the mipi STAR arrival into lga. Aircraft #3 was climbing VFR on a conflicting course with aircraft #1. Aircraft #2 was in level flight at 14000 ft on an opposite direction course with aircraft #1, but they were 1000 ft separated. I issued both the IFR aircraft as traffic to aircraft #3, and he advised me that he didn't have either aircraft in sight. I advised aircraft #3 to stop his climb, and maintain VFR at 12500 ft. He concurred and leveled off at 12500 ft. I then issued the VFR traffic to aircraft #1 who said he didn't have it in sight. Aircraft #2 was not on my frequency because the altitude limits for my sector in this area is only 13000 ft. Aircraft #3 advised me that he had the aircraft #1 in sight, and that he could maintain visual separation from the traffic. I advised aircraft #3 to maintain VFR at a safe altitude for flight in his area. Aircraft #3 advised me that he was going to begin a climb. I then told aircraft #1 what the VFR traffic was doing, and he advised me he received an RA from his TCASII, and he was climbing. I then issued the IFR traffic to the aircraft #1, (this traffic being aircraft #2) and I informed him the traffic was level at 14000 ft and opposite direction. Aircraft #1, who's mode C indicated 13600 ft advised me that he didn't see the aircraft #2. I advised he turn 30 degrees left to avoid the traffic, and he then told me he saw the traffic, and was descending back down to his ATC IFR assigned altitude. This incident occurred close to my transfer of control fixes, where we handoff the lga arrs to the ny TRACON. When I transferred communications on aircraft #1 to the TRACON, the pilot had a comment to make to me. The pilot of aircraft #1 advised me he felt that the VFR aircraft was too close to him to be safe, and that he felt we were going to kill someone someday. The VFR aircraft, aircraft #3, advised me he passed behind the aircraft #1 MD80 without a problem. The TCASII resolution caused the following situation for me: an increase in my workload, a stressful situation, my constant attention, and blocking of my communications with other aircraft on my frequency. Supplemental information from acn 353467: we were inbound on the milton 1 arrival approaching lizzi at 13000 ft. Converging VFR traffic was told to level at 12500 ft. The VFR aircraft reported us in sight. ATC then told the VFR aircraft he could climb to whatever altitude he thought appropriate for VFR. We received a RA at that point that instructed us to climb. We complied with it and informed ATC. In a few seconds we received another RA to descend due to traffic above us. Our climb topped out at 14000 ft and our descent reached 12000 ft. During this maneuver the altitude alert was going off, the RA was giving directions constantly, and ATC was called to one of the most convoluted arrs, mip 1, in the system. Had ATC held the VFR traffic below us until the VFR traffic was clear of our arrival corridor this highly dangerous situation might have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BUSY ARTCC RADAR CTLR STOPPED A VFR C320 AT 12500 FT DUE TO ACR MD80 AT 13000 FT. THERE WAS ALSO A BA31 AT 14000 FT OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE MD80. THE CTLR ISSUED ALL ACFT THE TFC INFO, THE C320 SAID HE HAD MD80 IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO CLB VFR REF THE MD80. THE MD80 GOT A TCASII RA ON THE C320 AND CLBED TO 14000 FT HEAD-ON INTO THE BA31. THE CTLR TURNED THE MD80 AND HE DSNDED TO 13000 FT, BUT SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH THE BA31.

Narrative: THIS IS A SUMMARY OF EVENTS OF AN INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON NOV/XX/96, AT XA30 AM. THE INCIDENT INVOLVED 3 ACFT AND TOOK PLACE OVER ALLENTOWN, PA. I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT SECTOR 74 IN THE ZNY. I HAD 10 ACFT ON MY FREQ AT THE TIME, AND WAS MODERATELY BUSY. ACFT #1 WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT 13000 FT ON THE MIPI STAR ARR INTO LGA. ACFT #3 WAS CLBING VFR ON A CONFLICTING COURSE WITH ACFT #1. ACFT #2 WAS IN LEVEL FLT AT 14000 FT ON AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION COURSE WITH ACFT #1, BUT THEY WERE 1000 FT SEPARATED. I ISSUED BOTH THE IFR ACFT AS TFC TO ACFT #3, AND HE ADVISED ME THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE EITHER ACFT IN SIGHT. I ADVISED ACFT #3 TO STOP HIS CLB, AND MAINTAIN VFR AT 12500 FT. HE CONCURRED AND LEVELED OFF AT 12500 FT. I THEN ISSUED THE VFR TFC TO ACFT #1 WHO SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE IT IN SIGHT. ACFT #2 WAS NOT ON MY FREQ BECAUSE THE ALT LIMITS FOR MY SECTOR IN THIS AREA IS ONLY 13000 FT. ACFT #3 ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD THE ACFT #1 IN SIGHT, AND THAT HE COULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE TFC. I ADVISED ACFT #3 TO MAINTAIN VFR AT A SAFE ALT FOR FLT IN HIS AREA. ACFT #3 ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO BEGIN A CLB. I THEN TOLD ACFT #1 WHAT THE VFR TFC WAS DOING, AND HE ADVISED ME HE RECEIVED AN RA FROM HIS TCASII, AND HE WAS CLBING. I THEN ISSUED THE IFR TFC TO THE ACFT #1, (THIS TFC BEING ACFT #2) AND I INFORMED HIM THE TFC WAS LEVEL AT 14000 FT AND OPPOSITE DIRECTION. ACFT #1, WHO'S MODE C INDICATED 13600 FT ADVISED ME THAT HE DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT #2. I ADVISED HE TURN 30 DEGS L TO AVOID THE TFC, AND HE THEN TOLD ME HE SAW THE TFC, AND WAS DSNDING BACK DOWN TO HIS ATC IFR ASSIGNED ALT. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED CLOSE TO MY TRANSFER OF CTL FIXES, WHERE WE HDOF THE LGA ARRS TO THE NY TRACON. WHEN I TRANSFERRED COMS ON ACFT #1 TO THE TRACON, THE PLT HAD A COMMENT TO MAKE TO ME. THE PLT OF ACFT #1 ADVISED ME HE FELT THAT THE VFR ACFT WAS TOO CLOSE TO HIM TO BE SAFE, AND THAT HE FELT WE WERE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE SOMEDAY. THE VFR ACFT, ACFT #3, ADVISED ME HE PASSED BEHIND THE ACFT #1 MD80 WITHOUT A PROB. THE TCASII RESOLUTION CAUSED THE FOLLOWING SIT FOR ME: AN INCREASE IN MY WORKLOAD, A STRESSFUL SIT, MY CONSTANT ATTN, AND BLOCKING OF MY COMS WITH OTHER ACFT ON MY FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 353467: WE WERE INBOUND ON THE MILTON 1 ARR APCHING LIZZI AT 13000 FT. CONVERGING VFR TFC WAS TOLD TO LEVEL AT 12500 FT. THE VFR ACFT RPTED US IN SIGHT. ATC THEN TOLD THE VFR ACFT HE COULD CLB TO WHATEVER ALT HE THOUGHT APPROPRIATE FOR VFR. WE RECEIVED A RA AT THAT POINT THAT INSTRUCTED US TO CLB. WE COMPLIED WITH IT AND INFORMED ATC. IN A FEW SECONDS WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RA TO DSND DUE TO TFC ABOVE US. OUR CLB TOPPED OUT AT 14000 FT AND OUR DSCNT REACHED 12000 FT. DURING THIS MANEUVER THE ALT ALERT WAS GOING OFF, THE RA WAS GIVING DIRECTIONS CONSTANTLY, AND ATC WAS CALLED TO ONE OF THE MOST CONVOLUTED ARRS, MIP 1, IN THE SYS. HAD ATC HELD THE VFR TFC BELOW US UNTIL THE VFR TFC WAS CLR OF OUR ARR CORRIDOR THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SIT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.