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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A center radar instructor and trainee descended and slowed a B737 to an occupied altitude while attempting to establish in- trail separation with another aircraft. A D328 aircraft at the same altitude following the B737 was not slowed which resulted in less than standard separation. Both controllers claim that they were distracted by computer keyboard failure and congested land lines.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 384035 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199710 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ekn |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 23000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc tower : mex |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 384035 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Experience | controller military : 12 controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 1 |
| ASRS Report | 384623 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 21600 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Air carrier X on radar vector for in-trail descended and reduced to 250 KTS. Air carrier Y, a D328, at FL230 no speed. D328 going faster and overtook air carrier B737. A keyboard failure distracted developmental and I. No conflict alert occurred prior to loss of separation. Turned air carrier X to 090 degree heading and turned air carrier Y to 270 degree heading and descended. Supplemental information from acn 384623: vectoring for in-trail spacing to pit. Got distracted by keyboard problems and override/land line congestion. Descended B737 through altitude of D328.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CTR RADAR INSTRUCTOR AND TRAINEE DSNDED AND SLOWED A B737 TO AN OCCUPIED ALT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH IN- TRAIL SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT. A D328 ACFT AT THE SAME ALT FOLLOWING THE B737 WAS NOT SLOWED WHICH RESULTED IN LTSS. BOTH CTLRS CLAIM THAT THEY WERE DISTRACTED BY COMPUTER KEYBOARD FAILURE AND CONGESTED LAND LINES.
Narrative: ACR X ON RADAR VECTOR FOR IN-TRAIL DSNDED AND REDUCED TO 250 KTS. ACR Y, A D328, AT FL230 NO SPD. D328 GOING FASTER AND OVERTOOK ACR B737. A KEYBOARD FAILURE DISTRACTED DEVELOPMENTAL AND I. NO CONFLICT ALERT OCCURRED PRIOR TO LOSS OF SEPARATION. TURNED ACR X TO 090 DEG HDG AND TURNED ACR Y TO 270 DEG HDG AND DSNDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384623: VECTORING FOR IN-TRAIL SPACING TO PIT. GOT DISTRACTED BY KEYBOARD PROBS AND OVERRIDE/LAND LINE CONGESTION. DSNDED B737 THROUGH ALT OF D328.
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.