ARTCC radar controller receiving OJT cleared small aircraft to occupied altitude inadvertently, inst...

Attributes
ACN	88227
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lyh
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6900 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18
ASRS Report	88227
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : developmental
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

I was giving radar OJT. The sector was quite busy with aircraft transitioning to rdu. An aircraft (small aircraft X) was cleared to depart lyh and proceed swbnd at 4000'. After radar identify small aircraft X was cleared to 7000' inadvertently. The data block was changed to reflect 6000'. I didn't notice this because I was preoccupied with overall sector. Small aircraft Y eastbound over lyh was traffic at 7000'. Radar OJT thought he had issued 6000'. I first noticed small aircraft X at 6400'. I asked aircraft what his altitude was and he replied 6800' I told him to maintain 6000' and that was his assigned altitude. He advised he had been assigned 7000' and read back 7000'. He also advised he saw traffic that appeared to be at 7000'. I told him it was at 7000'. Targets were now on opp courses. Small aircraft X asked if I still wanted him to descend to 6000'. I told him not necessary and continued climb. Manual controller advised he heard clearance to 7000' and advised radar OJT. Radar OJT thought manual controller said, 'climb him to 7000'.' I didn't hear this either. I informed manual controller that he should have informed me that I was the person responsible for the operation. He was not the cause of the situation by any means, but could have prevented it if he had told me. Manual controller was recently certified and is still a developmental controller. The sector (R30 valley low) was very busy at the time as it is every day at this time XA10-XA45Z with traffic being vectored to land at rdu. Following are things that I feel could have helped to avoid situation. 1) no developmental (manual) controllers while radar OJT in progress (especially at peak periods). 2) sector fully staffed at peak periods. 3) metering of aircraft from their departure points to avoid impact. 4) more staffing overall. This incident is my fault and I accept the blame fully. My inattn to these pertinent details is obviously the overall cause of the incident. My OJT was separating traffic from an aircraft at 7000' and inadvertently said the altitude of the conflicting aircraft. I didn't catch on readback either.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR RECEIVING OJT CLEARED SMA TO OCCUPIED ALT INADVERTENTLY, INSTRUCTOR CTLR DID NOT SEE ERROR UNTIL CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING RADAR OJT. THE SECTOR WAS QUITE BUSY WITH ACFT TRANSITIONING TO RDU. AN ACFT (SMA X) WAS CLRED TO DEPART LYH AND PROCEED SWBND AT 4000'. AFTER RADAR IDENT SMA X WAS CLRED TO 7000' INADVERTENTLY. THE DATA BLOCK WAS CHANGED TO REFLECT 6000'. I DIDN'T NOTICE THIS BECAUSE I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH OVERALL SECTOR. SMA Y EBND OVER LYH WAS TFC AT 7000'. RADAR OJT THOUGHT HE HAD ISSUED 6000'. I FIRST NOTICED SMA X AT 6400'. I ASKED ACFT WHAT HIS ALT WAS AND HE REPLIED 6800' I TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN 6000' AND THAT WAS HIS ASSIGNED ALT. HE ADVISED HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 7000' AND READ BACK 7000'. HE ALSO ADVISED HE SAW TFC THAT APPEARED TO BE AT 7000'. I TOLD HIM IT WAS AT 7000'. TARGETS WERE NOW ON OPP COURSES. SMA X ASKED IF I STILL WANTED HIM TO DSND TO 6000'. I TOLD HIM NOT NECESSARY AND CONTINUED CLB. MANUAL CTLR ADVISED HE HEARD CLRNC TO 7000' AND ADVISED RADAR OJT. RADAR OJT THOUGHT MANUAL CTLR SAID, 'CLB HIM TO 7000'.' I DIDN'T HEAR THIS EITHER. I INFORMED MANUAL CTLR THAT HE SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION. HE WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE SITUATION BY ANY MEANS, BUT COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT IF HE HAD TOLD ME. MANUAL CTLR WAS RECENTLY CERTIFIED AND IS STILL A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR. THE SECTOR (R30 VALLEY LOW) WAS VERY BUSY AT THE TIME AS IT IS EVERY DAY AT THIS TIME XA10-XA45Z WITH TFC BEING VECTORED TO LAND AT RDU. FOLLOWING ARE THINGS THAT I FEEL COULD HAVE HELPED TO AVOID SITUATION. 1) NO DEVELOPMENTAL (MANUAL) CTLRS WHILE RADAR OJT IN PROGRESS (ESPECIALLY AT PEAK PERIODS). 2) SECTOR FULLY STAFFED AT PEAK PERIODS. 3) METERING OF ACFT FROM THEIR DEP POINTS TO AVOID IMPACT. 4) MORE STAFFING OVERALL. THIS INCIDENT IS MY FAULT AND I ACCEPT THE BLAME FULLY. MY INATTN TO THESE PERTINENT DETAILS IS OBVIOUSLY THE OVERALL CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. MY OJT WAS SEPARATING TFC FROM AN ACFT AT 7000' AND INADVERTENTLY SAID THE ALT OF THE CONFLICTING ACFT. I DIDN'T CATCH ON READBACK EITHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

ARTCC radar controller receiving OJT cleared small aircraft to occupied altitude inadvertently, instructor controller did not see error until conflict alert activated.