<< >> NASA ASRS Report 473128, May 2000

An approach controller report on loss of separation between a descending BE36 and a PA34, level in cruise, when a dropped tag obscured the position of the PA34 over the radar receiver near cae, sc.

Attributes
ACN	473128
Time
Date	200005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cae.airport
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cae.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cae.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	473128
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Facility
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

A BE36 bonanza descended per ATC instruction and passed within 200 ft vertical and 1/2 mi horizontal of a PA34 seneca at 8000 ft in level flight. The controller issued a TA to the BE36 when the aircraft were separated by 1 mi and 300 ft. The aircraft reported each other in sight as they passed. The controller workload and radar traffic clutter was heavy. The BE36 had been vectored around the primary airport due to the volume of arrs and departures. The PA34 had just been handed off from the previous sector. The ARTS data tag on the PA34 had disappeared from view as the aircraft overflew the radar antenna. When the tag reacquired, the aircraft were less than 5 mi apart and the data block was obscured by several other aircraft targets. Vectoring or reclring aircraft to avoid overflying the radar might prevent similar occurrences in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN APCH CTLR RPT ON LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN A DSNDING BE36 AND A PA34, LEVEL IN CRUISE, WHEN A DROPPED TAG OBSCURED THE POS OF THE PA34 OVER THE RADAR RECEIVER NEAR CAE, SC.

Narrative: A BE36 BONANZA DSNDED PER ATC INSTRUCTION AND PASSED WITHIN 200 FT VERT AND 1/2 MI HORIZ OF A PA34 SENECA AT 8000 FT IN LEVEL FLT. THE CTLR ISSUED A TA TO THE BE36 WHEN THE ACFT WERE SEPARATED BY 1 MI AND 300 FT. THE ACFT RPTED EACH OTHER IN SIGHT AS THEY PASSED. THE CTLR WORKLOAD AND RADAR TFC CLUTTER WAS HVY. THE BE36 HAD BEEN VECTORED AROUND THE PRIMARY ARPT DUE TO THE VOLUME OF ARRS AND DEPS. THE PA34 HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF FROM THE PREVIOUS SECTOR. THE ARTS DATA TAG ON THE PA34 HAD DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW AS THE ACFT OVERFLEW THE RADAR ANTENNA. WHEN THE TAG REACQUIRED, THE ACFT WERE LESS THAN 5 MI APART AND THE DATA BLOCK WAS OBSCURED BY SEVERAL OTHER ACFT TARGETS. VECTORING OR RECLRING ACFT TO AVOID OVERFLYING THE RADAR MIGHT PREVENT SIMILAR OCCURRENCES IN THE FUTURE.

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.