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Inbound air carrier-widebody transport reported passing over a VFR air carrier-light transport with only 500' of separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 95880 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198810 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sju |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mjzs |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 95880 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was working an air carrier in descent to 10000' for handoff to approach control. I was also working many other aircraft at the time (all 3 sectors were combined). My airspace includes about a 200 mi radius from the primary airport. Just before the air carrier leveled at 1000', he advised me he just passed traffic 500' below him. Due to my workload I was unable to observe and pass the traffic in a timely manner. Evasive action to my knowledge was not needed and I estimated the air carrier passed over the traffic at 10500' while in the descent. (The traffic was VFR mode C indicated 9500'.) a few mins after this happened the VFR traffic in question called for advisory service landing at the primary airport and the mode C was valid. I believe the situation occurred because the floor supervisor provided inadequate support to the operation. I had asked for help prior to the occurrence yet, instead of splitting sectors, I was only provided another controller to look over my shoulder and help track for me. Unfortunately this problem is occurring more and more at my facility since we are very understaffed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INBOUND ACR-WDB REPORTED PASSING OVER A VFR ACR-LTT WITH ONLY 500' OF SEPARATION.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING AN ACR IN DSCNT TO 10000' FOR HDOF TO APCH CTL. I WAS ALSO WORKING MANY OTHER ACFT AT THE TIME (ALL 3 SECTORS WERE COMBINED). MY AIRSPACE INCLUDES ABOUT A 200 MI RADIUS FROM THE PRIMARY ARPT. JUST BEFORE THE ACR LEVELED AT 1000', HE ADVISED ME HE JUST PASSED TFC 500' BELOW HIM. DUE TO MY WORKLOAD I WAS UNABLE TO OBSERVE AND PASS THE TFC IN A TIMELY MANNER. EVASIVE ACTION TO MY KNOWLEDGE WAS NOT NEEDED AND I ESTIMATED THE ACR PASSED OVER THE TFC AT 10500' WHILE IN THE DSCNT. (THE TFC WAS VFR MODE C INDICATED 9500'.) A FEW MINS AFTER THIS HAPPENED THE VFR TFC IN QUESTION CALLED FOR ADVISORY SVC LNDG AT THE PRIMARY ARPT AND THE MODE C WAS VALID. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE FLOOR SUPVR PROVIDED INADEQUATE SUPPORT TO THE OPERATION. I HAD ASKED FOR HELP PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE YET, INSTEAD OF SPLITTING SECTORS, I WAS ONLY PROVIDED ANOTHER CTLR TO LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER AND HELP TRACK FOR ME. UNFORTUNATELY THIS PROB IS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE AT MY FAC SINCE WE ARE VERY UNDERSTAFFED.
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.