<< >> NASA ASRS Report 730682, February 2007

ZNY controller described atops problem when equipment misidentified two same company aircraft and expressed concern regarding facility staffing numbers.

Attributes
ACN	730682
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 36000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A330
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 20 controller non radar : 20 controller radar : 20
ASRS Report	730682
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	computer equipment : zny.artcc staffing : zny.artcc

Narrative:

Air carrier xxy was activated in atops; but it was supposed to be air carrier xyy. The problem is that both aircraft were in the sector at the same time; but they were unprotected by the system because we did not know exactly where they were. The controller (not me) was too busy to try to fix the problem. There were 5 tracks and we were short staffed; so we had no bodies to help the situation. It was a busy track night and we needed to split the sectors so that they would be manageable. 9 position open; only 10 controllers all night long.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR DESCRIBED ATOPS PROBLEM WHEN EQUIP MISIDENTIFIED TWO SAME COMPANY ACFT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FAC STAFFING NUMBERS.

Narrative: ACR XXY WAS ACTIVATED IN ATOPS; BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ACR XYY. THE PROB IS THAT BOTH ACFT WERE IN THE SECTOR AT THE SAME TIME; BUT THEY WERE UNPROTECTED BY THE SYS BECAUSE WE DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE. THE CTLR (NOT ME) WAS TOO BUSY TO TRY TO FIX THE PROB. THERE WERE 5 TRACKS AND WE WERE SHORT STAFFED; SO WE HAD NO BODIES TO HELP THE SITUATION. IT WAS A BUSY TRACK NIGHT AND WE NEEDED TO SPLIT THE SECTORS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE MANAGEABLE. 9 POS OPEN; ONLY 10 CTLRS ALL NIGHT LONG.

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.