Narrative:

Working the crl sector on sep/xa/98, I assumed the position approximately XA15. Chain of events: a gulfstream departed pcw, oh, VFR, requesting IFR clearance. I issued the clearance to climb direct to grr. Unable to contact tol approach, I had to give the aircraft a 360 degree turn to avoid tol approach airspace. This delayed me in getting the first of several air carrier jets down arriving dtw from over djb. While I was in the process of vectoring these jets in order to get them down to 12000 ft by cetus, I had another aircraft (an air carrier Z jet) inbound to pit at FL230 traversing the north edge of my sector. I had to spin (or vector) all the air carrier jets because dtw approach could not take these aircraft high. While I was very, very busy, the air carrier Z jet inbound to pit at FL230 stated he had a TCASII alert and was descending. I had traffic 2 O'clock and 10 mi to him at FL220 on a 360 degree heading. I immediately gave the air carrier Z jet the traffic at FL220, told him to climb to FL230, and turn left immediately heading 050 degrees. The pilot complied. This avoided an error between these 2 aircraft. During the investigation several hours later, we discovered the reason the air carrier Z jet had a TCASII alert was due to F16 descending from FL310 to FL240 right on top of him. This F16 was working a high altitude sector and I had no knowledge of him. Also at the same time, one of the air carrier jets I was vectoring at FL210 also got a TCASII alert due to the air carrier Z jet descending. While all this was going on, I lost separation with 2 air carrier X and Y (3.8 mi and 100 ft). The loss of separation was my fault, but this TCASII incident was very distracting and created a very dangerous situation. I have been a controller 29 yrs (25 FAA, 4 military) and this scared the hell out of me. I do feel this TCASII situation should be investigated. The TCASII system is a good system and aids in aviation safety. But in this situation, the TCASII system of the jet could have put 2 passenger jets in peril. Supplemental information from acn 415018: the problems arose from rerouting the air carrier Y over a shortcut fix and later having him on vectors while many other aircraft were on vectors because of the initial air carrier jet was too high over the arrival fix. The jets were high because of our inability to coordinate with tol approach and the distrs that caused. Later, an air carrier Z responded to his TCASII warning to descend because of a military jet rapidly descending above. This in turn led to another air carrier descending because air carrier Z was descending into his altitude. Just as this was being handled, the air carrier X and air carrier Y were nearing each other. Action was taken to separate the 2 aircraft and then I saw the conflict alert flash. Supplemental information from acn 415124: I believe there was a personal situation with controller involved that contributed to this also. Supplemental information from acn 415772: while in cruise at FL230, received a TCASII TA on traffic descending in our 1 O'clock position. This was followed by an RA to descend at a rate of 2000 FPM. At FL225, received second RA on traffic at 11 O'clock, level at FL220. Followed command and leveled at FL225. Advised ATC and was issued a left turn to 050 degrees and a climb back to FL230. After conflict was clear, climbed back to FL230. No further action was taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR ON POS FOR SHORT TIME WITH HVY TFC HAD MANY ACFT ON VECTORS DUE TO COORD PROB WITH ADJACENT TRACON. DURING THIS TIME AN ACR MLG DSNDED FROM ALT BECAUSE OF A TCASII ALERT. THIS CREATED ANOTHER ALERT FOR THE ACFT BELOW HIM. RADAR CTLR CLRED THIS WITHOUT LOSS OF SEPARATION, BUT HAD A SYS ERROR OCCUR WHEN SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN 2 OTHER ACFT IN HIS SECTOR, AN ACR DC9 AND AN ACR DH8, BOTH ON VECTORS AND DSNDING.

Narrative: WORKING THE CRL SECTOR ON SEP/XA/98, I ASSUMED THE POS APPROX XA15. CHAIN OF EVENTS: A GULFSTREAM DEPARTED PCW, OH, VFR, REQUESTING IFR CLRNC. I ISSUED THE CLRNC TO CLB DIRECT TO GRR. UNABLE TO CONTACT TOL APCH, I HAD TO GIVE THE ACFT A 360 DEG TURN TO AVOID TOL APCH AIRSPACE. THIS DELAYED ME IN GETTING THE FIRST OF SEVERAL ACR JETS DOWN ARRIVING DTW FROM OVER DJB. WHILE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF VECTORING THESE JETS IN ORDER TO GET THEM DOWN TO 12000 FT BY CETUS, I HAD ANOTHER ACFT (AN ACR Z JET) INBOUND TO PIT AT FL230 TRAVERSING THE N EDGE OF MY SECTOR. I HAD TO SPIN (OR VECTOR) ALL THE ACR JETS BECAUSE DTW APCH COULD NOT TAKE THESE ACFT HIGH. WHILE I WAS VERY, VERY BUSY, THE ACR Z JET INBOUND TO PIT AT FL230 STATED HE HAD A TCASII ALERT AND WAS DSNDING. I HAD TFC 2 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI TO HIM AT FL220 ON A 360 DEG HDG. I IMMEDIATELY GAVE THE ACR Z JET THE TFC AT FL220, TOLD HIM TO CLB TO FL230, AND TURN L IMMEDIATELY HDG 050 DEGS. THE PLT COMPLIED. THIS AVOIDED AN ERROR BTWN THESE 2 ACFT. DURING THE INVESTIGATION SEVERAL HRS LATER, WE DISCOVERED THE REASON THE ACR Z JET HAD A TCASII ALERT WAS DUE TO F16 DSNDING FROM FL310 TO FL240 RIGHT ON TOP OF HIM. THIS F16 WAS WORKING A HIGH ALT SECTOR AND I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, ONE OF THE ACR JETS I WAS VECTORING AT FL210 ALSO GOT A TCASII ALERT DUE TO THE ACR Z JET DSNDING. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, I LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 ACR X AND Y (3.8 MI AND 100 FT). THE LOSS OF SEPARATION WAS MY FAULT, BUT THIS TCASII INCIDENT WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SIT. I HAVE BEEN A CTLR 29 YRS (25 FAA, 4 MIL) AND THIS SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I DO FEEL THIS TCASII SIT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE TCASII SYS IS A GOOD SYS AND AIDS IN AVIATION SAFETY. BUT IN THIS SIT, THE TCASII SYS OF THE JET COULD HAVE PUT 2 PAX JETS IN PERIL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 415018: THE PROBS AROSE FROM REROUTING THE ACR Y OVER A SHORTCUT FIX AND LATER HAVING HIM ON VECTORS WHILE MANY OTHER ACFT WERE ON VECTORS BECAUSE OF THE INITIAL ACR JET WAS TOO HIGH OVER THE ARR FIX. THE JETS WERE HIGH BECAUSE OF OUR INABILITY TO COORDINATE WITH TOL APCH AND THE DISTRS THAT CAUSED. LATER, AN ACR Z RESPONDED TO HIS TCASII WARNING TO DSND BECAUSE OF A MIL JET RAPIDLY DSNDING ABOVE. THIS IN TURN LED TO ANOTHER ACR DSNDING BECAUSE ACR Z WAS DSNDING INTO HIS ALT. JUST AS THIS WAS BEING HANDLED, THE ACR X AND ACR Y WERE NEARING EACH OTHER. ACTION WAS TAKEN TO SEPARATE THE 2 ACFT AND THEN I SAW THE CONFLICT ALERT FLASH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 415124: I BELIEVE THERE WAS A PERSONAL SIT WITH CTLR INVOLVED THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ALSO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 415772: WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL230, RECEIVED A TCASII TA ON TFC DSNDING IN OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY AN RA TO DSND AT A RATE OF 2000 FPM. AT FL225, RECEIVED SECOND RA ON TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, LEVEL AT FL220. FOLLOWED COMMAND AND LEVELED AT FL225. ADVISED ATC AND WAS ISSUED A L TURN TO 050 DEGS AND A CLB BACK TO FL230. AFTER CONFLICT WAS CLR, CLBED BACK TO FL230. NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN.

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.