 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ZBW radar associate describes operational error at FL320 as radar controller attempted parallel vectors to secure separation between 2 air carrier's.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 670348 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200509 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : hto.vortac |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 32000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate 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 | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 23 |
| ASRS Report | 670348 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
F100 descending from FL370 to FL250 landing ack. B737 climbing to FL380 sey direct to the emjay intersection. F100 was coming from rbv direct ack. R-side was concerned about courses not diverging fast enough. I suggested turning B737 15 degrees to the left to make divergence happen quicker (F100 would have passed further behind). R-side turned both aircraft 20 degrees to the right to set up a parallel course. The turns were not quite enough. F100 was asked to expedite through FL300; B737 asked to expedite climb through FL320. For some reason; both shallowed out climb and descent right around FL320 (B737 actually leveled at FL323 for a while). They may have been watching the TCASII. They did have each other in sight after traffic was issued. That could also be why climbs and dscnts were arrested. If climbs and dscnts had been continued; separation may not have been lost.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZBW RADAR ASSOCIATE DESCRIBES OPERROR AT FL320 AS RADAR CTLR ATTEMPTED PARALLEL VECTORS TO SECURE SEPARATION BTWN 2 ACR'S.
Narrative: F100 DSNDING FROM FL370 TO FL250 LNDG ACK. B737 CLBING TO FL380 SEY DIRECT TO THE EMJAY INTXN. F100 WAS COMING FROM RBV DIRECT ACK. R-SIDE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT COURSES NOT DIVERGING FAST ENOUGH. I SUGGESTED TURNING B737 15 DEGS TO THE L TO MAKE DIVERGENCE HAPPEN QUICKER (F100 WOULD HAVE PASSED FURTHER BEHIND). R-SIDE TURNED BOTH ACFT 20 DEGS TO THE R TO SET UP A PARALLEL COURSE. THE TURNS WERE NOT QUITE ENOUGH. F100 WAS ASKED TO EXPEDITE THROUGH FL300; B737 ASKED TO EXPEDITE CLB THROUGH FL320. FOR SOME REASON; BOTH SHALLOWED OUT CLB AND DSCNT RIGHT AROUND FL320 (B737 ACTUALLY LEVELED AT FL323 FOR A WHILE). THEY MAY HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE TCASII. THEY DID HAVE EACH OTHER IN SIGHT AFTER TFC WAS ISSUED. THAT COULD ALSO BE WHY CLBS AND DSCNTS WERE ARRESTED. IF CLBS AND DSCNTS HAD BEEN CONTINUED; SEPARATION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN LOST.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.