Narrative:

On 6/fri/88 at XA15 pm an operational error occurred involving mdt X and light transport Y approximately 30 mi south of albany, ny. At the time, I was working as the handoff controller at the pawling sector at bos center. Light transport Y was off white plains airport en route to columbia county via bdr V91 bowan direct lbl at 15000'. Mdt X departed bos and was en route to lga via V292, V123 lga at 8000'. During this time the pawling sector was very busy handling lga, hpn and jfk inbnds coupled with numerous overflts. A controller from the center sector abutting our northern boundary called, requesting light transport Y at 11000'. I thought this was unusual due to the fact that our normal procedure for aircraft landing at lbl is to descend the aircraft to 6000 or 7000' and hand them off to alb approach. But, due to the fact that we were very busy, I just complied, instructing the radar controller to descend light transport Y to 11000' and give him to the alb/canan sector. A few mins later I noticed light transport Y starting a descent. Assuming alb approach was working the aircraft, I quickly called to find out what was happening. (Alb/canan own 11-17, approach 0-10). The controller informed me that he was descending light transport Y as per letter of agreement. I instructed him not to let light transport Y descend below 9000' due to conflicting traffic at 8000', X. By the time alb approach instructed light transport Y to maintain 9000' he was already at 7000'. Unfortunately, the light transport Y climbed back to 9000', at which time sep was lost between X and light transport Y. The letter of agreement that I referred to in the preceding paragraph gives alb approach unconditional descent for aircraft landing at lbl and gbr airports. When the alb center sector transferred communications with light transport Y to alb approach, they in effect released 11000' and below to alb approach, of which pawling owns 6000 to 10000'. It is my opinion that this and any similar letter of agreement be suspended. The possibility of error is too great with such a liberal agreement. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave experience level and time in FAA. Proximity of aircraft was detected by the computer as 4 mi. C/a did activate. Aircraft types were verified as mdt and light transport. Date of occurrence was confirmed as identification strip was incorrect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT HANDED OFF TO APCH CTL WHO DESCENDED THE LTT THROUGH ALT OF MDT UNDER ARTCC CTL. APCH CTLR ACTING WITHIN LIMITS OF LOA WAS TOLD BY ARTCC TO STOP LTT AT 9000', LTT ALREADY AT 7000' AND CLIMBED BACK THROUGH MDT ALT WITH LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: ON 6/FRI/88 AT XA15 PM AN OPERROR OCCURRED INVOLVING MDT X AND LTT Y APPROX 30 MI S OF ALBANY, NY. AT THE TIME, I WAS WORKING AS THE HDOF CTLR AT THE PAWLING SECTOR AT BOS CENTER. LTT Y WAS OFF WHITE PLAINS ARPT ENRTE TO COLUMBIA COUNTY VIA BDR V91 BOWAN DIRECT LBL AT 15000'. MDT X DEPARTED BOS AND WAS ENRTE TO LGA VIA V292, V123 LGA AT 8000'. DURING THIS TIME THE PAWLING SECTOR WAS VERY BUSY HANDLING LGA, HPN AND JFK INBNDS COUPLED WITH NUMEROUS OVERFLTS. A CTLR FROM THE CENTER SECTOR ABUTTING OUR NORTHERN BOUNDARY CALLED, REQUESTING LTT Y AT 11000'. I THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR NORMAL PROC FOR ACFT LNDG AT LBL IS TO DSND THE ACFT TO 6000 OR 7000' AND HAND THEM OFF TO ALB APCH. BUT, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE VERY BUSY, I JUST COMPLIED, INSTRUCTING THE RADAR CTLR TO DSND LTT Y TO 11000' AND GIVE HIM TO THE ALB/CANAN SECTOR. A FEW MINS LATER I NOTICED LTT Y STARTING A DSCNT. ASSUMING ALB APCH WAS WORKING THE ACFT, I QUICKLY CALLED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. (ALB/CANAN OWN 11-17, APCH 0-10). THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS DSNDING LTT Y AS PER LETTER OF AGREEMENT. I INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO LET LTT Y DSND BELOW 9000' DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC AT 8000', X. BY THE TIME ALB APCH INSTRUCTED LTT Y TO MAINTAIN 9000' HE WAS ALREADY AT 7000'. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LTT Y CLBED BACK TO 9000', AT WHICH TIME SEP WAS LOST BTWN X AND LTT Y. THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT THAT I REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH GIVES ALB APCH UNCONDITIONAL DSCNT FOR ACFT LNDG AT LBL AND GBR ARPTS. WHEN THE ALB CENTER SECTOR TRANSFERRED COMS WITH LTT Y TO ALB APCH, THEY IN EFFECT RELEASED 11000' AND BELOW TO ALB APCH, OF WHICH PAWLING OWNS 6000 TO 10000'. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS AND ANY SIMILAR LETTER OF AGREEMENT BE SUSPENDED. THE POSSIBILITY OF ERROR IS TOO GREAT WITH SUCH A LIBERAL AGREEMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR GAVE EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND TIME IN FAA. PROX OF ACFT WAS DETECTED BY THE COMPUTER AS 4 MI. C/A DID ACTIVATE. ACFT TYPES WERE VERIFIED AS MDT AND LTT. DATE OF OCCURRENCE WAS CONFIRMED AS ID STRIP WAS INCORRECT.

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.