Neither ZOB radar associate or sector radar controller are aware of an operational error between a descending MD80 and B757 until conflict alert alarms.

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Attributes
ACN	557188
Time
Date	200207
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fnt.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.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
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 11 controller time certified in position1 : 8 flight time total : 22
ASRS Report	557188
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 27000 vertical : 1800
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was descending on a converging course with aircraft #2. His descent rate was unexpectedly low. Due to high volume in the sector, this wasn't noticed until the conflict alert activated. However, because the conflict alert functions only on historical data, it did not activate until separation was being lost. As the radar associate, I was fairly ineffective in being helpful to the radar man because of excessive manual coordination with toronto center, and the ineffectiveness of uret (user requested evaluate tool) to display data in a useful format.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEITHER ZOB RADAR ASSOCIATE OR SECTOR RADAR CTLR ARE AWARE OF AN OPERROR BTWN A DSNDING MD80 AND B757 UNTIL CONFLICT ALERT ALARMS.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS DSNDING ON A CONVERGING COURSE WITH ACFT #2. HIS DSCNT RATE WAS UNEXPECTEDLY LOW. DUE TO HIGH VOLUME IN THE SECTOR, THIS WASN'T NOTICED UNTIL THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTIONS ONLY ON HISTORICAL DATA, IT DID NOT ACTIVATE UNTIL SEPARATION WAS BEING LOST. AS THE RADAR ASSOCIATE, I WAS FAIRLY INEFFECTIVE IN BEING HELPFUL TO THE RADAR MAN BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE MANUAL COORD WITH TORONTO CTR, AND THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF URET (USER REQUESTED EVAL TOOL) TO DISPLAY DATA IN A USEFUL FORMAT.

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.