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ZMA controller described loss of separation when havana controller initiated handoff with less than required separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 724996 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mth.ndb |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 36000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747 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 |
| Experience | controller non radar : 16 controller radar : 15 |
| ASRS Report | 724996 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Air carrier X was northbound on 6448 in havana center's airspace just south of 24 degrees north. Immediately behind air carrier X was air carrier Y; also at FL360. A havana center controller called on the land line to handoff the 2 aircraft. Air carrier Y was on a code that ZMA could not use at that time for tracking. The manual controller took the handoffs and noticed they were both at the same altitude. Air carrier Y was a heavy B747 with about a 50 KT overtake on the B737. Because the air carrier Y aircraft was not being tracked by ZMA computers there was no printout. The cause of this near midair collision was that the havana center controllers do not routinely monitor the tadpo and canoa sectors; when they walked back over to the sector to make the handoffs they didn't notice the overtake. ZMA management refuse to get involved to try and fix this problem. At a minimum the united states flagged air carrier's should be told of the situation and the state department should get involved since management refuses.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZMA CTLR DESCRIBED LOSS OF SEPARATION WHEN HAVANA CTLR INITIATED HDOF WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED SEPARATION.
Narrative: ACR X WAS NBOUND ON 6448 IN HAVANA CTR'S AIRSPACE JUST S OF 24 DEGS N. IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ACR X WAS ACR Y; ALSO AT FL360. A HAVANA CTR CTLR CALLED ON THE LAND LINE TO HDOF THE 2 ACFT. ACR Y WAS ON A CODE THAT ZMA COULD NOT USE AT THAT TIME FOR TRACKING. THE MANUAL CTLR TOOK THE HDOFS AND NOTICED THEY WERE BOTH AT THE SAME ALT. ACR Y WAS A HVY B747 WITH ABOUT A 50 KT OVERTAKE ON THE B737. BECAUSE THE ACR Y ACFT WAS NOT BEING TRACKED BY ZMA COMPUTERS THERE WAS NO PRINTOUT. THE CAUSE OF THIS NMAC WAS THAT THE HAVANA CTR CTLRS DO NOT ROUTINELY MONITOR THE TADPO AND CANOA SECTORS; WHEN THEY WALKED BACK OVER TO THE SECTOR TO MAKE THE HDOFS THEY DIDN'T NOTICE THE OVERTAKE. ZMA MGMNT REFUSE TO GET INVOLVED TO TRY AND FIX THIS PROB. AT A MINIMUM THE UNITED STATES FLAGGED ACR'S SHOULD BE TOLD OF THE SITUATION AND THE STATE DEPT SHOULD GET INVOLVED SINCE MGMNT REFUSES.
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.