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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Reporter controller gave descent clearance to the wrong aircraft resulting in less than standard separation in oceanic airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 92664 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198808 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sju |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mjzs |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 92664 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : insufficient time other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 1500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Due to WX, aircraft calling on both frequencys cutting one another out, had to put 1 frequency on speaker. Similar sounding call signs--large transport X (bbdg) and large transport Z (bdcg). Failed handoff with mia. Had to manually coordinate. Not listening to aircraft call sigh when aircraft read back clearance. The problem was discovered when I scanned the scope and observed large transport Z (bdcg) leaving FL350, took immediate action. The situation occurred because of human error--mine. I missed a readback of a clearance because I was preoccupied with an aircraft 300 mi away. I heard the readback of the clearance but I missed the call sign. Also I was working 2 frequencys. If everyone would have been on one frequency this may have been adverted. History--134.3 has a blind spot, about 170-240 mi northwest of sju in the vicinity of elmuc. A vcr was filed on that. The response was to put a frequency (135.7) at bqn. Large transport X (bbdg) requested lower. Cleared large transport X (bbdg) to cross 40 mi northwest of sju at 10000'. Put large transport Z (bdcg) on a 170 degree heading. Went back to light transport V to work on getting him on G449. D-side called ttpp to advise aircraft was west of course for WX. Observed large transport Z (bdcg) leaving FL350. Asked him his altitude, then turned him to a heading of 100 degrees. I then descended widebody transport right to FL290, to descend now through FL310. Called traffic. Took care of remaining traffic. Turned myself in. After listening to the tapes I discovered that large transport Z (bdcg) requested lower and that I descended large transport Z (bdcg) and pilot read back the clearance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: REPORTER CTLR GAVE DESCENT CLRNC TO THE WRONG ACFT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN OCEANIC AIRSPACE.
Narrative: DUE TO WX, ACFT CALLING ON BOTH FREQS CUTTING ONE ANOTHER OUT, HAD TO PUT 1 FREQ ON SPEAKER. SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS--LGT X (BBDG) AND LGT Z (BDCG). FAILED HDOF WITH MIA. HAD TO MANUALLY COORDINATE. NOT LISTENING TO ACFT CALL SIGH WHEN ACFT READ BACK CLRNC. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED WHEN I SCANNED THE SCOPE AND OBSERVED LGT Z (BDCG) LEAVING FL350, TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF HUMAN ERROR--MINE. I MISSED A READBACK OF A CLRNC BECAUSE I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH AN ACFT 300 MI AWAY. I HEARD THE READBACK OF THE CLRNC BUT I MISSED THE CALL SIGN. ALSO I WAS WORKING 2 FREQS. IF EVERYONE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ONE FREQ THIS MAY HAVE BEEN ADVERTED. HISTORY--134.3 HAS A BLIND SPOT, ABOUT 170-240 MI NW OF SJU IN THE VICINITY OF ELMUC. A VCR WAS FILED ON THAT. THE RESPONSE WAS TO PUT A FREQ (135.7) AT BQN. LGT X (BBDG) REQUESTED LOWER. CLRED LGT X (BBDG) TO CROSS 40 MI NW OF SJU AT 10000'. PUT LGT Z (BDCG) ON A 170 DEG HDG. WENT BACK TO LTT V TO WORK ON GETTING HIM ON G449. D-SIDE CALLED TTPP TO ADVISE ACFT WAS W OF COURSE FOR WX. OBSERVED LGT Z (BDCG) LEAVING FL350. ASKED HIM HIS ALT, THEN TURNED HIM TO A HDG OF 100 DEGS. I THEN DSNDED WDB R TO FL290, TO DSND NOW THROUGH FL310. CALLED TFC. TOOK CARE OF REMAINING TFC. TURNED MYSELF IN. AFTER LISTENING TO THE TAPES I DISCOVERED THAT LGT Z (BDCG) REQUESTED LOWER AND THAT I DSNDED LGT Z (BDCG) AND PLT READ BACK THE CLRNC.
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.