ARTCC controller descended light transport through altitude of widebody transport with less than sta...

Attributes
ACN	93834
Time
Date	198809
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vhp
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	93834
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 19800 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Light transport Y descending into fwa turned to go behind widebody transport X at FL350 nwbnd. Widebody transport X was on an assigned heading then turned on course. I did not know that widebody transport X was in a turn and because of that, I turned light transport Y into widebody transport X instead of behind him. I was busy and was having trouble finding flight plan information. Had the pilot of widebody transport X or the previous controller made me aware of the turn, sep could have been maintained. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: type aircraft involved were widebody transport and a light transport. Computer detected error 3.3 NM and 1000'. Reporter had a new D controller who was only checked out 2 weeks prior to incident. Flight progress strips were all messed up and reporter couldn't find widebody transport strip to check routing. Conflict alert activated between widebody transport and another aircraft and when that problem was resolved, it was still blinking and then reporter realized the problem between the light transport and widebody transport. Light transport was in rapid descent and sep was regained before any action could be taken other than exchanging traffic information. Second incident this controller has had in 90 days.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC CTLR DESCENDED LTT THROUGH ALT OF WDB WITH LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: LTT Y DSNDING INTO FWA TURNED TO GO BEHIND WDB X AT FL350 NWBND. WDB X WAS ON AN ASSIGNED HDG THEN TURNED ON COURSE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT WDB X WAS IN A TURN AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I TURNED LTT Y INTO WDB X INSTEAD OF BEHIND HIM. I WAS BUSY AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING FLT PLAN INFO. HAD THE PLT OF WDB X OR THE PREVIOUS CTLR MADE ME AWARE OF THE TURN, SEP COULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: TYPE ACFT INVOLVED WERE WDB AND A LTT. COMPUTER DETECTED ERROR 3.3 NM AND 1000'. RPTR HAD A NEW D CTLR WHO WAS ONLY CHKED OUT 2 WKS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. FLT PROGRESS STRIPS WERE ALL MESSED UP AND RPTR COULDN'T FIND WDB STRIP TO CHK ROUTING. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED BTWN WDB AND ANOTHER ACFT AND WHEN THAT PROB WAS RESOLVED, IT WAS STILL BLINKING AND THEN RPTR REALIZED THE PROB BTWN THE LTT AND WDB. LTT WAS IN RAPID DSCNT AND SEP WAS REGAINED BEFORE ANY ACTION COULD BE TAKEN OTHER THAN EXCHANGING TFC INFO. SECOND INCIDENT THIS CTLR HAS HAD IN 90 DAYS.

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 controller descended light transport through altitude of widebody transport with less than standard separation.