ARTCC radar controller takes a radar pointout on an small transport aircraft, at cruise, through his airspace. The small transport flies through a STAR route which the controller is working. The controller forgets about the small transport and clears an air carrier aircraft through his assigned altitude, in conflict with the small transport. Controller believes that since conflict alert did not activate before the incident, only during, that conflict alert was not working correctly and should have saved the error.

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Attributes
ACN	412093
Time
Date	199808
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ykm
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse tower : cae
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
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	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 31
ASRS Report	412093
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
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
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 16800 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was a pointout transiting my sector northeast to southwest just west of ykm, crossing the chins 2 arrival to sea. There were numerous aircraft on the chins 2 arrival coming from both high altitude sector 47 and low altitude sector 9. Aircraft #1 data block was obscured by other data blocks. A clearance was issued to aircraft #2 to descend to FL210 through aircraft #1. Conflict alert never went off. I realized my mistake too late to avoid the error. I did see the traffic, but took action too late. Where aircraft #1 was positioned, I should have been talking to the aircraft rather than just having a pointout. If conflict alert had functioned properly, the error might have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR TAKES A RADAR POINTOUT ON AN SMT ACFT, AT CRUISE, THROUGH HIS AIRSPACE. THE SMT FLIES THROUGH A STAR RTE WHICH THE CTLR IS WORKING. THE CTLR FORGETS ABOUT THE SMT AND CLRS AN ACR ACFT THROUGH HIS ASSIGNED ALT, IN CONFLICT WITH THE SMT. CTLR BELIEVES THAT SINCE CONFLICT ALERT DID NOT ACTIVATE BEFORE THE INCIDENT, ONLY DURING, THAT CONFLICT ALERT WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND SHOULD HAVE SAVED THE ERROR.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS A POINTOUT TRANSITING MY SECTOR NE TO SW JUST W OF YKM, XING THE CHINS 2 ARR TO SEA. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT ON THE CHINS 2 ARR COMING FROM BOTH HIGH ALT SECTOR 47 AND LOW ALT SECTOR 9. ACFT #1 DATA BLOCK WAS OBSCURED BY OTHER DATA BLOCKS. A CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO ACFT #2 TO DSND TO FL210 THROUGH ACFT #1. CONFLICT ALERT NEVER WENT OFF. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE TOO LATE TO AVOID THE ERROR. I DID SEE THE TFC, BUT TOOK ACTION TOO LATE. WHERE ACFT #1 WAS POSITIONED, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE ACFT RATHER THAN JUST HAVING A POINTOUT. IF CONFLICT ALERT HAD FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, THE ERROR 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.