<< >> NASA ASRS Report 566766, November 2002

ARTCC ZAU controller inadvertently descended a C340 to an altitude occupied by a PA32 resulting in a loss of separation.

Attributes
ACN	566766
Time
Date	200211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : eon.vortac
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc tracon : bdl.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 340/340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 3.5 controller radar : 20
ASRS Report	566766
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 7200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working the 2 aircraft and had the C340 at 8000 ft to go over the 7000 ft PA32. I intended to use visual separation between them, the C340 was southeast of eon and was nwbound. The 7000 ft traffic was sebound. I inadvertently gave C340 a descent to 7000 ft while calling traffic and separation was lost 1.2 mi same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC ZAU CTLR INADVERTENTLY DSNDED A C340 TO AN ALT OCCUPIED BY A PA32 RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE 2 ACFT AND HAD THE C340 AT 8000 FT TO GO OVER THE 7000 FT PA32. I INTENDED TO USE VISUAL SEPARATION BTWN THEM, THE C340 WAS SE OF EON AND WAS NWBOUND. THE 7000 FT TFC WAS SEBOUND. I INADVERTENTLY GAVE C340 A DSCNT TO 7000 FT WHILE CALLING TFC AND SEPARATION WAS LOST 1.2 MI SAME ALT.

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.