 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
During a period when sectors were combined at ZBW, a radar controller did not notice an aircraft inadvertently descend to an occupied altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 625855 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200407 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : rka.vor |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 25800 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 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 radar : 19 flight time total : 118 |
| ASRS Report | 625855 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 22 controller time certified in position1 : 13 |
| ASRS Report | 625859 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 22800 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Aircraft #1 inbound to ewr on radar vector for spacing. Aircraft #2 en route to roc. Aircraft #1 descended through the altitude of aircraft #2 and separation lost. 4 sectors were combined into one and I believe that was a factor. Additional workload led to overlooking of a traffic situation. Supplemental information from acn 625859: busy period transitioning to the 'mid shift.' working 4 sectors and frequencys combined. Several aircraft being vectored and spaced due to WX. Probably too many aircraft for this combined operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING A PERIOD WHEN SECTORS WERE COMBINED AT ZBW, A RADAR CTLR DID NOT NOTICE AN ACFT INADVERTENTLY DSND TO AN OCCUPIED ALT.
Narrative: ACFT #1 INBOUND TO EWR ON RADAR VECTOR FOR SPACING. ACFT #2 ENRTE TO ROC. ACFT #1 DSNDED THROUGH THE ALT OF ACFT #2 AND SEPARATION LOST. 4 SECTORS WERE COMBINED INTO ONE AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS A FACTOR. ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD LED TO OVERLOOKING OF A TFC SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 625859: BUSY PERIOD TRANSITIONING TO THE 'MID SHIFT.' WORKING 4 SECTORS AND FREQS COMBINED. SEVERAL ACFT BEING VECTORED AND SPACED DUE TO WX. PROBABLY TOO MANY ACFT FOR THIS COMBINED OP.
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.