Narrative:

I was working the east arrival/departure position combined during the early morning departure push. At approximately XA03 CDT air carrier X (MD11) departed runway 18L and was issued a turn to 160 degrees at 1 mi south of the mem VOR. Just prior to that air carrier Y (A300) departed runway 18R on a 180 degree heading. West departure had issued a turn to 260 degrees to air carrier Y. At approximately 3-4 mi south of mem airport. Air carrier Y was on the 260 degree heading about 2 mi west of air carrier X; who was now on a 160 degree heading. The stars conflict alert sounded issuing a visual warning between these 2 aircraft as well as the aural alarm. At the time of the alarm these 2 aircraft were established on diverging headings and were at least 2 mi apart. This is not the first false conflict alert I have observed from the stars system. Stars version 13A was in use at the time of the occurrence. These false alerts are a distraction to the controller workforce and could lead the controller's attention away from higher priority duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM TRACON CTLR DESCRIBED FALSE CONFLICT ALERT BTWN 2 DEP ACFT; CITING STARS EQUIP AS BEING THE PRIMARY PROB.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE E ARR/DEP POS COMBINED DURING THE EARLY MORNING DEP PUSH. AT APPROX XA03 CDT ACR X (MD11) DEPARTED RWY 18L AND WAS ISSUED A TURN TO 160 DEGS AT 1 MI S OF THE MEM VOR. JUST PRIOR TO THAT ACR Y (A300) DEPARTED RWY 18R ON A 180 DEG HDG. W DEP HAD ISSUED A TURN TO 260 DEGS TO ACR Y. AT APPROX 3-4 MI S OF MEM ARPT. ACR Y WAS ON THE 260 DEG HDG ABOUT 2 MI W OF ACR X; WHO WAS NOW ON A 160 DEG HDG. THE STARS CONFLICT ALERT SOUNDED ISSUING A VISUAL WARNING BTWN THESE 2 ACFT AS WELL AS THE AURAL ALARM. AT THE TIME OF THE ALARM THESE 2 ACFT WERE ESTABLISHED ON DIVERGING HDGS AND WERE AT LEAST 2 MI APART. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST FALSE CONFLICT ALERT I HAVE OBSERVED FROM THE STARS SYS. STARS VERSION 13A WAS IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THESE FALSE ALERTS ARE A DISTR TO THE CTLR WORKFORCE AND COULD LEAD THE CTLR'S ATTN AWAY FROM HIGHER PRIORITY DUTIES.

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.