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Approach radar controller stopped descent of a B737 during STAR arrival for an aircraft target that showed up on his display at an altitude through which he was descending the B737. ARTCC controller had not alerted him regarding a VFR cessna level in the opposite direction during the handoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 479214 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200007 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : fim.vortac |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16500 msl bound upper : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : saddle 6 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Corsair |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller time certified in position1 : 14 |
| ASRS Report | 479214 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure other |
Narrative:
Air carrier X was descending on the sadde 6 arrival into lax leaving FL190. I observed a limited data block on an aircraft that was at 16500 ft nwbound and was going to be crossing in front of air carrier X. I instructed air carrier X to stop his descent at 17000 ft. Targets merged. I called ZLA sector 13 and asked them about the aircraft at 16500 ft. The controller laughed at me and said 'good bye.' there is this perception by ZLA that VFR aircraft receive advisories only. What ZLA did to me was handed me off an aircraft that was in direct conflict with another aircraft (VFR makes no difference) and did nothing to resolve it. Nor did they tell me about it. Had I not stopped air carrier X descent, they would have hit. What would the FAA's response have been? The aircraft at 16500 ft was VFR and our only responsibility is to provide advisories. I think the FAA/ZLA are leaving themselves wide open for a huge lawsuit by not giving VFR/IFR conflicts some sort of separation (positive control).
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: APCH RADAR CTLR STOPPED DSCNT OF A B737 DURING STAR ARR FOR AN ACFT TARGET THAT SHOWED UP ON HIS DISPLAY AT AN ALT THROUGH WHICH HE WAS DSNDING THE B737. ARTCC CTLR HAD NOT ALERTED HIM REGARDING A VFR CESSNA LEVEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION DURING THE HDOF.
Narrative: ACR X WAS DSNDING ON THE SADDE 6 ARR INTO LAX LEAVING FL190. I OBSERVED A LIMITED DATA BLOCK ON AN ACFT THAT WAS AT 16500 FT NWBOUND AND WAS GOING TO BE XING IN FRONT OF ACR X. I INSTRUCTED ACR X TO STOP HIS DSCNT AT 17000 FT. TARGETS MERGED. I CALLED ZLA SECTOR 13 AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THE ACFT AT 16500 FT. THE CTLR LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID 'GOOD BYE.' THERE IS THIS PERCEPTION BY ZLA THAT VFR ACFT RECEIVE ADVISORIES ONLY. WHAT ZLA DID TO ME WAS HANDED ME OFF AN ACFT THAT WAS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT (VFR MAKES NO DIFFERENCE) AND DID NOTHING TO RESOLVE IT. NOR DID THEY TELL ME ABOUT IT. HAD I NOT STOPPED ACR X DSCNT, THEY WOULD HAVE HIT. WHAT WOULD THE FAA'S RESPONSE HAVE BEEN? THE ACFT AT 16500 FT WAS VFR AND OUR ONLY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROVIDE ADVISORIES. I THINK THE FAA/ZLA ARE LEAVING THEMSELVES WIDE OPEN FOR A HUGE LAWSUIT BY NOT GIVING VFR/IFR CONFLICTS SOME SORT OF SEPARATION (POSITIVE CTL).
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.