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ZDC ARTCC controller assigned data duties at a sector rapidly increasing with traffic. He moved to the coordinator handoff position and by the time a third controller moved to the data position, a loss of separation occurred between a descending aircraft and an aircraft at cruise altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 557838 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : sbv.vortac |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.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 | descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 17 controller time certified in position1 : 17 |
| ASRS Report | 557838 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 8 controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 2 controller time certified in position2 : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 558158 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 1500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was asked to situation down on the d-side at a sector which was being staffed by a single controller. The sector was already quite busy with traffic being vectored and descended into clt and a large number of aircraft which had been re-rted into the sector which would not normally have been there. Shortly after sitting down, I moved to the l-side. Eventually we were joined by another controller who took the d-side. The radar controller initiated a descent from FL330 to FL290 on an aircraft (#2) which needed to exit our sector at FL250. FL290 had been issued because there was traffic at FL280. I entered FL250 temporarily into the data block and initiated the handoff to the next sector. Conflict alert activated and since I believed it was between the descending aircraft and the one at FL280, I suppressed captain to avoid the distracting flashing. A few mins later the d-side pointed out the situation between the descending aircraft and one (#1) which was level at FL310. The radar controller issued instructions to both aircraft but separation was lost. The 2 factors I feel were most important in this situation are: 1) sector improperly staffed (timely) due to local habit and limited manpower. 2) traffic volume and complexity too high.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZDC ARTCC CTLR ASSIGNED DATA DUTIES AT A SECTOR RAPIDLY INCREASING WITH TFC. HE MOVED TO THE COORDINATOR HDOF POS AND BY THE TIME A THIRD CTLR MOVED TO THE DATA POS, A LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED BTWN A DSNDING ACFT AND AN ACFT AT CRUISE ALT.
Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO SIT DOWN ON THE D-SIDE AT A SECTOR WHICH WAS BEING STAFFED BY A SINGLE CTLR. THE SECTOR WAS ALREADY QUITE BUSY WITH TFC BEING VECTORED AND DSNDED INTO CLT AND A LARGE NUMBER OF ACFT WHICH HAD BEEN RE-RTED INTO THE SECTOR WHICH WOULD NOT NORMALLY HAVE BEEN THERE. SHORTLY AFTER SITTING DOWN, I MOVED TO THE L-SIDE. EVENTUALLY WE WERE JOINED BY ANOTHER CTLR WHO TOOK THE D-SIDE. THE RADAR CTLR INITIATED A DSCNT FROM FL330 TO FL290 ON AN ACFT (#2) WHICH NEEDED TO EXIT OUR SECTOR AT FL250. FL290 HAD BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE THERE WAS TFC AT FL280. I ENTERED FL250 TEMPORARILY INTO THE DATA BLOCK AND INITIATED THE HDOF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND SINCE I BELIEVED IT WAS BTWN THE DSNDING ACFT AND THE ONE AT FL280, I SUPPRESSED CAPT TO AVOID THE DISTRACTING FLASHING. A FEW MINS LATER THE D-SIDE POINTED OUT THE SIT BTWN THE DSNDING ACFT AND ONE (#1) WHICH WAS LEVEL AT FL310. THE RADAR CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO BOTH ACFT BUT SEPARATION WAS LOST. THE 2 FACTORS I FEEL WERE MOST IMPORTANT IN THIS SIT ARE: 1) SECTOR IMPROPERLY STAFFED (TIMELY) DUE TO LCL HABIT AND LIMITED MANPOWER. 2) TFC VOLUME AND COMPLEXITY TOO 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.