37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 560856 |
Time | |
Date | 200209 |
Day | Mon |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | navaid : fmn.vortac |
State Reference | NM |
Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Dusk |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.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 |
Aircraft 2 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.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 : radar |
Qualification | controller : radar |
Experience | controller limited radar : 11 controller military : 3 controller non radar : 14 controller radar : 11 controller time certified in position1 : 8.83 |
ASRS Report | 560856 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
Consequence | faa : investigated |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 20000 vertical : 0 |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was working 3 sectors combined -- low altitude, high altitude, and ultra high altitude. Workload was high, but not overly so. We were requesting and receiving ELT reports (emergency locator transmitter). About 2 hours earlier, we lost both radar and radio contact with a piper cherokee near alamosa, co. I had 2 low altitude aircraft in the general vicinity of this loss. I requested they both monitor 121.5 for the ELT. There were several high altitude aircraft also. I recognized a confliction between aircraft X wbound from over alamosa to farmington, NM, to lax, and aircraft Y nwbound from over santa flight engineer, NM, to farmington to sfo. At this time, they were each approximately 100 mi from farmington. I was working these sectors combined because we did not have adequate staffing to open appropriate sectors to lessen workload. I was told I had 19 aircraft on frequency. That would be on 3 frequencys due to lack of frequency coverage. When the aircraft were about 50 mi from farmington, I issued a 35 degree left turn to aircraft X. He read this back correctly. In my experience, this would be sufficient. I then went on to correct a heading given to an aircraft Z on his way to razor back, ar. At this time, a lifeguard king air popped up on frequency requesting an IFR clearance to albuquerque. I issued a code for him to squawk. I then recognized that the aircraft X and aircraft Y were going to get within 3 mi of each other. I told aircraft X to turn another 15 degrees and told aircraft Y to turn 20 degrees left. It went from 5 mi to 4 mi to 4.3 mi back to 5 mi and greater. Then I cleared the lifeguard to abq, shipped a couple of aircraft and was properly relieved from the sector!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZDV ARTCC CTLR LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 ACR B757 ACFT ON CONVERGING COURSES AT FL350.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING 3 SECTORS COMBINED -- LOW ALT, HIGH ALT, AND ULTRA HIGH ALT. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH, BUT NOT OVERLY SO. WE WERE REQUESTING AND RECEIVING ELT RPTS (EMER LOCATOR XMITTER). ABOUT 2 HRS EARLIER, WE LOST BOTH RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WITH A PIPER CHEROKEE NEAR ALAMOSA, CO. I HAD 2 LOW ALT ACFT IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THIS LOSS. I REQUESTED THEY BOTH MONITOR 121.5 FOR THE ELT. THERE WERE SEVERAL HIGH ALT ACFT ALSO. I RECOGNIZED A CONFLICTION BTWN ACFT X WBOUND FROM OVER ALAMOSA TO FARMINGTON, NM, TO LAX, AND ACFT Y NWBOUND FROM OVER SANTA FE, NM, TO FARMINGTON TO SFO. AT THIS TIME, THEY WERE EACH APPROX 100 MI FROM FARMINGTON. I WAS WORKING THESE SECTORS COMBINED BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING TO OPEN APPROPRIATE SECTORS TO LESSEN WORKLOAD. I WAS TOLD I HAD 19 ACFT ON FREQ. THAT WOULD BE ON 3 FREQS DUE TO LACK OF FREQ COVERAGE. WHEN THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 50 MI FROM FARMINGTON, I ISSUED A 35 DEG L TURN TO ACFT X. HE READ THIS BACK CORRECTLY. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. I THEN WENT ON TO CORRECT A HDG GIVEN TO AN ACFT Z ON HIS WAY TO RAZOR BACK, AR. AT THIS TIME, A LIFEGUARD KING AIR POPPED UP ON FREQ REQUESTING AN IFR CLRNC TO ALBUQUERQUE. I ISSUED A CODE FOR HIM TO SQUAWK. I THEN RECOGNIZED THAT THE ACFT X AND ACFT Y WERE GOING TO GET WITHIN 3 MI OF EACH OTHER. I TOLD ACFT X TO TURN ANOTHER 15 DEGS AND TOLD ACFT Y TO TURN 20 DEGS L. IT WENT FROM 5 MI TO 4 MI TO 4.3 MI BACK TO 5 MI AND GREATER. THEN I CLRED THE LIFEGUARD TO ABQ, SHIPPED A COUPLE OF ACFT AND WAS PROPERLY RELIEVED FROM THE SECTOR!
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.