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ZAU controller forgets to coordination pointout which conflicts with another ZAU controller's aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 521619 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200108 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : okk.vortac |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 23000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc tower : dtw.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Falcon 20G/20GF/ Mysterre Falcon 200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Route In Use | arrival star : n/s |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller time certified in position1 : 9 controller time certified in position2 : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 521619 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 19200 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
I was working a sector that a portion is allotted to another sector to descend ord arrs. Due to this, aircraft transiting the dump zone need to be pointed out to the arrival sector. An adjacent sector pvd's the data block of the first aircraft showing a climb to FL250. At that altitude, I don't need to make the pointout. When the sector calls to confirm the pointout, I decide to stop the aircraft at FL230, since the aircraft would have to descend very soon to meet LOA with ZOB for det arrs. I tell the adjacent sector to stop the aircraft at FL230 and call radar contact. At this altitude, the aircraft needs to be pointed out to the arrival sector, but at least the ord arrs won't have to descend through the aircraft, nor will the aircraft have to descend through the ord arrs. The sector I am working is combined with another sector and at this time, things come up in that airspace that require my attention. While attending to these duties, I am distraction from the pointout situation and fail to point out the aircraft at FL230 to the arrival sector. In the short amount of time I had to accomplish the pointout, numerous things happened. Military aircraft called for sua and 2 or 3 xmissions were required to clarify what they needed. A sector from an adjacent center called with a pointout. 2 or 3 aircraft checked on frequency, and I had to coordinate use of the sua with the supervisor. All these were completed, but by that time, the aircraft at FL230 had entered the joint use airspace without a pointout and I didn't doublechk to see if the pointout was done or not. I was then offered a break and gave a briefing to the relieving controller. As that controller took the sector, I stood behind him to make sure everything was in order. That's when the conflict alert went off because the arrival sector had descended an aircraft through the aircraft I did not point out. If the sectors were not combined, the situation may not have occurred. Also, the arrival sector should own the airspace.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZAU CTLR FORGETS TO COORD POINTOUT WHICH CONFLICTS WITH ANOTHER ZAU CTLR'S ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING A SECTOR THAT A PORTION IS ALLOTTED TO ANOTHER SECTOR TO DSND ORD ARRS. DUE TO THIS, ACFT TRANSITING THE DUMP ZONE NEED TO BE POINTED OUT TO THE ARR SECTOR. AN ADJACENT SECTOR PVD'S THE DATA BLOCK OF THE FIRST ACFT SHOWING A CLB TO FL250. AT THAT ALT, I DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE POINTOUT. WHEN THE SECTOR CALLS TO CONFIRM THE POINTOUT, I DECIDE TO STOP THE ACFT AT FL230, SINCE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE TO DSND VERY SOON TO MEET LOA WITH ZOB FOR DET ARRS. I TELL THE ADJACENT SECTOR TO STOP THE ACFT AT FL230 AND CALL RADAR CONTACT. AT THIS ALT, THE ACFT NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT TO THE ARR SECTOR, BUT AT LEAST THE ORD ARRS WON'T HAVE TO DSND THROUGH THE ACFT, NOR WILL THE ACFT HAVE TO DSND THROUGH THE ORD ARRS. THE SECTOR I AM WORKING IS COMBINED WITH ANOTHER SECTOR AND AT THIS TIME, THINGS COME UP IN THAT AIRSPACE THAT REQUIRE MY ATTN. WHILE ATTENDING TO THESE DUTIES, I AM DISTR FROM THE POINTOUT SIT AND FAIL TO POINT OUT THE ACFT AT FL230 TO THE ARR SECTOR. IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME I HAD TO ACCOMPLISH THE POINTOUT, NUMEROUS THINGS HAPPENED. MIL ACFT CALLED FOR SUA AND 2 OR 3 XMISSIONS WERE REQUIRED TO CLARIFY WHAT THEY NEEDED. A SECTOR FROM AN ADJACENT CTR CALLED WITH A POINTOUT. 2 OR 3 ACFT CHKED ON FREQ, AND I HAD TO COORDINATE USE OF THE SUA WITH THE SUPVR. ALL THESE WERE COMPLETED, BUT BY THAT TIME, THE ACFT AT FL230 HAD ENTERED THE JOINT USE AIRSPACE WITHOUT A POINTOUT AND I DIDN'T DOUBLECHK TO SEE IF THE POINTOUT WAS DONE OR NOT. I WAS THEN OFFERED A BREAK AND GAVE A BRIEFING TO THE RELIEVING CTLR. AS THAT CTLR TOOK THE SECTOR, I STOOD BEHIND HIM TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER. THAT'S WHEN THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF BECAUSE THE ARR SECTOR HAD DSNDED AN ACFT THROUGH THE ACFT I DID NOT POINT OUT. IF THE SECTORS WERE NOT COMBINED, THE SIT MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED. ALSO, THE ARR SECTOR SHOULD OWN THE AIRSPACE.
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.