ZHU ARTCC radar controller issues a descent to the wrong aircraft causing a same company flight to start descent into an aircraft in holding.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	625854
Time
Date	200407
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sbi.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : stros
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 20 controller time certified in position1 : 3
ASRS Report	625854
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	626002
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 4
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier Y was wbound on stros arrival at FL210. Air carrier Y was holding over sbi at FL200. I intended to issue air carrier Z to maintain 10000 ft. I mistakenly used air carrier X's call sign. Air carrier X descended into air carrier Y. Supplemental information from acn 626002: stros arrival to iah level FL210. Center told us to depart sbi heading 290 degrees. We were about 5 mi from sbi at that time. We asked for lower, but center said we had traffic at FL200. As we turned at sbi, we were given descent to 10000 ft. We read back the descent clearance and looked for the traffic. Traffic was in sight and going behind us. We started a slow descent with traffic in sight, then we got a TA/RA at about FL207, climbed to FL210.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU ARTCC RADAR CTLR ISSUES A DSCNT TO THE WRONG ACFT CAUSING A SAME COMPANY FLT TO START DSCNT INTO AN ACFT IN HOLDING.

Narrative: ACR Y WAS WBOUND ON STROS ARR AT FL210. ACR Y WAS HOLDING OVER SBI AT FL200. I INTENDED TO ISSUE ACR Z TO MAINTAIN 10000 FT. I MISTAKENLY USED ACR X'S CALL SIGN. ACR X DSNDED INTO ACR Y. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 626002: STROS ARR TO IAH LEVEL FL210. CTR TOLD US TO DEPART SBI HDG 290 DEGS. WE WERE ABOUT 5 MI FROM SBI AT THAT TIME. WE ASKED FOR LOWER, BUT CTR SAID WE HAD TFC AT FL200. AS WE TURNED AT SBI, WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WE READ BACK THE DSCNT CLRNC AND LOOKED FOR THE TFC. TFC WAS IN SIGHT AND GOING BEHIND US. WE STARTED A SLOW DSCNT WITH TFC IN SIGHT, THEN WE GOT A TA/RA AT ABOUT FL207, CLBED TO FL210.

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.