C90 controller described conflict at 4000 ft when air carrier experienced TCAS event with class B vi...

Attributes
ACN	713300
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 27 controller time certified in position1 : 24
ASRS Report	713300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

I was working the north satellite and north departure position combined. The workload was heavy and I called repeatedly over the room and on the supervisor position/landline for help as my workload increased. I vectored aircraft X outside of 20 mi from ord as per SOP. I called traffic on a class B violator; then I saw the targets merge. Aircraft X reported a TCAS climb to miss the aircraft. The TRACON has traffic management tools that predict traffic loads for the satellite sectors. After I called for help; the supervisor opened the departure position. I then had to divide my attention from the traffic to brief the departure controller on the situation. Management should have been aware of the workload before the incident. Splitting the position in the middle of the rush complicates the workload. A handoff controller before the rush hit would have been a smoother operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT AT 4000 FT WHEN ACR EXPERIENCED TCAS EVENT WITH CLASS B VIOLATOR TFC.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE N SATELLITE AND N DEP POS COMBINED. THE WORKLOAD WAS HVY AND I CALLED REPEATEDLY OVER THE ROOM AND ON THE SUPVR POS/LANDLINE FOR HELP AS MY WORKLOAD INCREASED. I VECTORED ACFT X OUTSIDE OF 20 MI FROM ORD AS PER SOP. I CALLED TFC ON A CLASS B VIOLATOR; THEN I SAW THE TARGETS MERGE. ACFT X RPTED A TCAS CLB TO MISS THE ACFT. THE TRACON HAS TFC MGMNT TOOLS THAT PREDICT TFC LOADS FOR THE SATELLITE SECTORS. AFTER I CALLED FOR HELP; THE SUPVR OPENED THE DEP POS. I THEN HAD TO DIVIDE MY ATTN FROM THE TFC TO BRIEF THE DEP CTLR ON THE SITUATION. MGMNT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE WORKLOAD BEFORE THE INCIDENT. SPLITTING THE POS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUSH COMPLICATES THE WORKLOAD. A HDOF CTLR BEFORE THE RUSH HIT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SMOOTHER OP.

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.

C90 controller described conflict at 4000 ft when air carrier experienced TCAS event with class B violator traffic.