ARTCC radar controller perceived that he must turn a B737 away from returning F18 on emergency fuel....

Attributes
ACN	397785
Time
Date	199803
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ave
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hornet (F-18)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 12 flight time total : 600
ASRS Report	397785
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

F18 was conducting carrier operations off california coast. Aircraft squawked 7700 and idented. Bingo fuel returning to NAS lemoor. F18 climbed to FL400 and was worked by sector 14, adjacent to me. From experience I know they start a descent on their own so I looked for conflicting traffic. I had 4 potential problems but all looked like they would miss but maybe not by 5 mi. The closest aircraft, a B737, to turn him meant to have to turn another 3 aircraft. I determined the best move was to let the aircraft fly their present rtes. Supervisor was alerted and on arrival, asked if I had turned those planes. The supervisor asked a number of times if the aircraft was turned. Fearing disciplinary action, I turned the B737 east to 070 degrees. Supervisor questioned the easterly turn, so I changed heading to 180 degrees. As things turned out, they were t-boned. The F18 had the B737 on radar, then visual. The other sector got an altitude report (no mode C due to rapid descent). B737 saw aircraft pass below. I do not know how close they got. No one said anything and I didn't ask. Edp did not activate. Considerations: plan a, leaving well enough alone would have worked. Plan B, turn to 070 degrees would have worked also. Plan C got them together and a turn to the west originally would have been worse. The military apparently has an SOP for bingo fuel, return to base and when they will start their descent. We should have this information which we do not now have. I don't think anyone can just come up to a sector and determine a course of action without evaluating the situation. That's what the supervisor did and, using his authority/authorized, made decisions that in hindsight were not in the interest of air safety. Get with the military and find out why the aircraft that is low fuel can't wait a few more mi at altitude and start the descent closer to the airfield, after clearing traffic. Why can't an F18 circle down over the field?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR PERCEIVED THAT HE MUST TURN A B737 AWAY FROM RETURNING F18 ON EMER FUEL. CTL ACTIONS PUT THE F18 INTO POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH A B737 WHEN A SUPVR ASKED HOW THE CTLR WAS GOING TO PROVIDE SEPARATION BTWN BOTH ACFT. CTLR PERCEIVES SAFETY ISSUE.

Narrative: F18 WAS CONDUCTING CARRIER OPS OFF CALIFORNIA COAST. ACFT SQUAWKED 7700 AND IDENTED. BINGO FUEL RETURNING TO NAS LEMOOR. F18 CLBED TO FL400 AND WAS WORKED BY SECTOR 14, ADJACENT TO ME. FROM EXPERIENCE I KNOW THEY START A DSCNT ON THEIR OWN SO I LOOKED FOR CONFLICTING TFC. I HAD 4 POTENTIAL PROBS BUT ALL LOOKED LIKE THEY WOULD MISS BUT MAYBE NOT BY 5 MI. THE CLOSEST ACFT, A B737, TO TURN HIM MEANT TO HAVE TO TURN ANOTHER 3 ACFT. I DETERMINED THE BEST MOVE WAS TO LET THE ACFT FLY THEIR PRESENT RTES. SUPVR WAS ALERTED AND ON ARR, ASKED IF I HAD TURNED THOSE PLANES. THE SUPVR ASKED A NUMBER OF TIMES IF THE ACFT WAS TURNED. FEARING DISCIPLINARY ACTION, I TURNED THE B737 E TO 070 DEGS. SUPVR QUESTIONED THE EASTERLY TURN, SO I CHANGED HDG TO 180 DEGS. AS THINGS TURNED OUT, THEY WERE T-BONED. THE F18 HAD THE B737 ON RADAR, THEN VISUAL. THE OTHER SECTOR GOT AN ALT RPT (NO MODE C DUE TO RAPID DSCNT). B737 SAW ACFT PASS BELOW. I DO NOT KNOW HOW CLOSE THEY GOT. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING AND I DIDN'T ASK. EDP DID NOT ACTIVATE. CONSIDERATIONS: PLAN A, LEAVING WELL ENOUGH ALONE WOULD HAVE WORKED. PLAN B, TURN TO 070 DEGS WOULD HAVE WORKED ALSO. PLAN C GOT THEM TOGETHER AND A TURN TO THE W ORIGINALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. THE MIL APPARENTLY HAS AN SOP FOR BINGO FUEL, RETURN TO BASE AND WHEN THEY WILL START THEIR DSCNT. WE SHOULD HAVE THIS INFO WHICH WE DO NOT NOW HAVE. I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN JUST COME UP TO A SECTOR AND DETERMINE A COURSE OF ACTION WITHOUT EVALUATING THE SIT. THAT'S WHAT THE SUPVR DID AND, USING HIS AUTH, MADE DECISIONS THAT IN HINDSIGHT WERE NOT IN THE INTEREST OF AIR SAFETY. GET WITH THE MIL AND FIND OUT WHY THE ACFT THAT IS LOW FUEL CAN'T WAIT A FEW MORE MI AT ALT AND START THE DSCNT CLOSER TO THE AIRFIELD, AFTER CLRING TFC. WHY CAN'T AN F18 CIRCLE DOWN OVER THE FIELD?

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.

ARTCC radar controller perceived that he must turn a B737 away from returning F18 on emergency fuel. Control actions put the F18 into possible conflict with a B737 when a supervisor asked how the controller was going to provide separation between both aircraft. Controller perceives safety issue.