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ARTCC radar controller becomes distracted with interphone coordination, losing situational awareness between descending C501, and an en route C208. Controller attempted to regain separation, but was unable.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 408541 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199807 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : swr airport : trk |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Citation I/SP |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Caravan 1 208A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| 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 military : 10 controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 408541 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 27600 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Aircraft #1 was wbound to trk from north descending from high altitude. Aircraft was descended to 14000 ft to get under rno jet arrival and stay above aircraft #2. Sac approach called about tight departure traffic on opposite end of airspace. This led to coordination with another sector. That sector did not interrupt air to ground communications during this call which delayed coordination unnecessarily. Another sector had called me at the same time and I returned this call after aircraft had been shipped. At this time, I realized altitude and lateral distance were not going to be sufficient for aircraft #1 on approach to trk with aircraft #2 inbound to rno at 13000 ft. At time of approach clearance, aircraft #1 was far enough out to descend beneath aircraft #2, but I did not ensure this and the calls with the other sectors distracted me from this. I assigned aircraft #1 an altitude and turned aircraft #1 to a heading of 220 degrees. This gave me 4.6 mi separation. Neither aircraft was at jeopardy at any time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR BECOMES DISTRACTED WITH INTERPHONE COORD, LOSING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BTWN DSNDING C501, AND AN ENRTE C208. CTLR ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN SEPARATION, BUT WAS UNABLE.
Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS WBOUND TO TRK FROM N DSNDING FROM HIGH ALT. ACFT WAS DSNDED TO 14000 FT TO GET UNDER RNO JET ARR AND STAY ABOVE ACFT #2. SAC APCH CALLED ABOUT TIGHT DEP TFC ON OPPOSITE END OF AIRSPACE. THIS LED TO COORD WITH ANOTHER SECTOR. THAT SECTOR DID NOT INTERRUPT AIR TO GND COMS DURING THIS CALL WHICH DELAYED COORD UNNECESSARILY. ANOTHER SECTOR HAD CALLED ME AT THE SAME TIME AND I RETURNED THIS CALL AFTER ACFT HAD BEEN SHIPPED. AT THIS TIME, I REALIZED ALT AND LATERAL DISTANCE WERE NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR ACFT #1 ON APCH TO TRK WITH ACFT #2 INBOUND TO RNO AT 13000 FT. AT TIME OF APCH CLRNC, ACFT #1 WAS FAR ENOUGH OUT TO DSND BENEATH ACFT #2, BUT I DID NOT ENSURE THIS AND THE CALLS WITH THE OTHER SECTORS DISTRACTED ME FROM THIS. I ASSIGNED ACFT #1 AN ALT AND TURNED ACFT #1 TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS. THIS GAVE ME 4.6 MI SEPARATION. NEITHER ACFT WAS AT JEOPARDY AT ANY TIME.
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.