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Relieving ZNY controller recognizes oceanic B737 and B727 conflict, but action taken is insufficient to establish oceanic separation criteria.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 493081 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200011 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : txkf.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 32700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar controller : non radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 33 controller radar : 30 controller time certified in position1 : 33 |
| ASRS Report | 493081 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar controller : non radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 12 controller radar : 5 controller time certified in position1 : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 493530 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to original clearance |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Both aircraft were at FL310 in opposite directions. One aircraft was supposed to be climbed to FL330 in time to ensure vertical separation. The controller forgot to climb that aircraft. The controller maintains that if a routine progress report was made in a timely manner, he would have detected that the aircraft should have been at FL330 instead of FL310. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was the relieved sector. Manual controller responsible for the operational error. The incident took place approximately 400 mi southwest of txkf (bermuda, uk). The B737 took TCASII action due to the opposite direction B727. The northbound B737 had just departed radar coverage. The oncoming controller attempted altitude climb of the B737 through new york communication radio and on guard frequency, but TCASII action was already in progress, and legal separation was lost. Supplemental information from acn 493530: oceanic non radar. 2 aircraft at FL310. Sbound aircraft was supposed to be climbed to FL330, but was not resulting in head-on at FL310. Discovered by me after assuming sector. Bad communication complicated problem. Sector workload was high.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RELIEVING ZNY CTLR RECOGNIZES OCEANIC B737 AND B727 CONFLICT, BUT ACTION TAKEN IS INSUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH OCEANIC SEPARATION CRITERIA.
Narrative: BOTH ACFT WERE AT FL310 IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. ONE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLBED TO FL330 IN TIME TO ENSURE VERT SEPARATION. THE CTLR FORGOT TO CLB THAT ACFT. THE CTLR MAINTAINS THAT IF A ROUTINE PROGRESS RPT WAS MADE IN A TIMELY MANNER, HE WOULD HAVE DETECTED THAT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT FL330 INSTEAD OF FL310. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS THE RELIEVED SECTOR. MANUAL CTLR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERROR. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE APPROX 400 MI SW OF TXKF (BERMUDA, UK). THE B737 TOOK TCASII ACTION DUE TO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION B727. THE NBOUND B737 HAD JUST DEPARTED RADAR COVERAGE. THE ONCOMING CTLR ATTEMPTED ALT CLB OF THE B737 THROUGH NEW YORK COM RADIO AND ON GUARD FREQ, BUT TCASII ACTION WAS ALREADY IN PROGRESS, AND LEGAL SEPARATION WAS LOST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 493530: OCEANIC NON RADAR. 2 ACFT AT FL310. SBOUND ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLBED TO FL330, BUT WAS NOT RESULTING IN HEAD-ON AT FL310. DISCOVERED BY ME AFTER ASSUMING SECTOR. BAD COM COMPLICATED PROB. SECTOR WORKLOAD WAS HIGH.
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.