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Radar controller was busy. Climbed aircraft #2 to a wrong altitude, this action put aircraft #2 in conflict with aircraft #1. Realizing his mistake, controller tried to correct, no response from aircraft #2. Became distraction, forgot about them until it was too late. Loss of standard separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423392 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199811 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : euf |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Jet/Long Ranger |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | S-70 Black Hawk/Night Hawk/Sea Hawk |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Experience | controller radar : 10 flight time total : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 423392 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Very busy, as expected. Facility at minimum staffing (including staff and management). I was working about 15 aircraft with a lot of complexity (crossing paths, active restr areas). I also had 2 sectors combined, insufficient personnel to split. Aircraft #2 was swbound approaching the VOR, which is near our airspace boundary. Aircraft #1 was entering my airspace from the southwest, approaching the VOR, 2000 ft above aircraft #2. The next facility asked me to climb aircraft #2 by 1000 ft. I mistakenly climbed him 2000 ft, which he read back. I realized my mistake and corrected myself, but heard no readback. I was distraction by multiple other things and allowed the 2 aircraft to converge. I realized it when they were a little over 3 mi apart. I tried to fix it quickly, but neither of the military helicopters answered my first call, so it deteriorated further. Problems: 1) union and management have agreed to minimum staffing requirements which do not allow for the increased traffic. 2) military helicopters are notoriously hard to talk to.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RADAR CTLR WAS BUSY. CLBED ACFT #2 TO A WRONG ALT, THIS ACTION PUT ACFT #2 IN CONFLICT WITH ACFT #1. REALIZING HIS MISTAKE, CTLR TRIED TO CORRECT, NO RESPONSE FROM ACFT #2. BECAME DISTR, FORGOT ABOUT THEM UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION.
Narrative: VERY BUSY, AS EXPECTED. FACILITY AT MINIMUM STAFFING (INCLUDING STAFF AND MGMNT). I WAS WORKING ABOUT 15 ACFT WITH A LOT OF COMPLEXITY (XING PATHS, ACTIVE RESTR AREAS). I ALSO HAD 2 SECTORS COMBINED, INSUFFICIENT PERSONNEL TO SPLIT. ACFT #2 WAS SWBOUND APCHING THE VOR, WHICH IS NEAR OUR AIRSPACE BOUNDARY. ACFT #1 WAS ENTERING MY AIRSPACE FROM THE SW, APCHING THE VOR, 2000 FT ABOVE ACFT #2. THE NEXT FACILITY ASKED ME TO CLB ACFT #2 BY 1000 FT. I MISTAKENLY CLBED HIM 2000 FT, WHICH HE READ BACK. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND CORRECTED MYSELF, BUT HEARD NO READBACK. I WAS DISTR BY MULTIPLE OTHER THINGS AND ALLOWED THE 2 ACFT TO CONVERGE. I REALIZED IT WHEN THEY WERE A LITTLE OVER 3 MI APART. I TRIED TO FIX IT QUICKLY, BUT NEITHER OF THE MIL HELIS ANSWERED MY FIRST CALL, SO IT DETERIORATED FURTHER. PROBS: 1) UNION AND MGMNT HAVE AGREED TO MINIMUM STAFFING REQUIREMENTS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW FOR THE INCREASED TFC. 2) MIL HELIS ARE NOTORIOUSLY HARD TO TALK TO.
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.