Air carrier-medium large transport given descent through altitude of opposite direction air carrier-...

Attributes
ACN	99519
Time
Date	198812
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : irq
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28600 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j85 enroute airway : j53
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	99519
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working as controller in charge. At ZZ50 I relieved the R49 position for a phone call. Medium large transport X, southbound requested a descent from FL310 due to turbulence. I gave medium large transport X descent clearance to FL260 at approximately ZZ52Z. Medium large transport Y was traffic pointed out northbound on J53 at FL290. C/a activated with medium large transport X out of approximately FL304 descending medium large transport X was given climb to FL310. Medium large transport Y (who was on ZTL frequency) was told to turn right heading 090 degrees at approximately ZZ53. I received an acknowledgement of got it. The mode C then showed medium large transport X almost to FL290. I then issued descent clearance to FL260. I attempted to call traffic to medium large transport X but there were data block jumps that confused the attempted traffic call. After reviewing the tapes and computer printout it appeared that medium large transport X took the 090 degree heading and sep was decreasing rather than increasing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter, a controller, was assigned as acting area supervisor and had just relieved the controller for a telephone call. During a short position relief briefing, the relieved controller mentioned medium large transport Y as being near the sector boundary and as a pointout from ZTL. Reporter admitted that he forgot about that aircraft (medium large transport Y) when gave medium large transport X a descent clearance from FL310 to FL260 and through the altitude of medium large transport Y at FL290. Not until the C/a sounded did reporter remember about the pointout aircraft. His remedy was to turn medium large transport Y (who was not on his frequency). When the turn was given, medium large transport X responded, 'got it.' the turn given to medium large transport Y was 180 degrees from the evasive turn that would have been given to medium large transport X. By the time reporter saw the effects of the turn by the wrong aircraft, it was too late to save the sep. An operational error was processed with no pilot involvement because ZJX qa said that it could not be proven that medium large transport X took a turn given to another aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR-MLG GIVEN DESCENT THROUGH ALT OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACR-MLG RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS CIC. AT ZZ50 I RELIEVED THE R49 POS FOR A PHONE CALL. MLG X, SBND REQUESTED A DSCNT FROM FL310 DUE TO TURB. I GAVE MLG X DSCNT CLRNC TO FL260 AT APPROX ZZ52Z. MLG Y WAS TFC POINTED OUT NBOUND ON J53 AT FL290. C/A ACTIVATED WITH MLG X OUT OF APPROX FL304 DSNDING MLG X WAS GIVEN CLB TO FL310. MLG Y (WHO WAS ON ZTL FREQ) WAS TOLD TO TURN RIGHT HDG 090 DEGS AT APPROX ZZ53. I RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOT IT. THE MODE C THEN SHOWED MLG X ALMOST TO FL290. I THEN ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO FL260. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL TFC TO MLG X BUT THERE WERE DATA BLOCK JUMPS THAT CONFUSED THE ATTEMPTED TFC CALL. AFTER REVIEWING THE TAPES AND COMPUTER PRINTOUT IT APPEARED THAT MLG X TOOK THE 090 DEG HDG AND SEP WAS DECREASING RATHER THAN INCREASING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR, A CTLR, WAS ASSIGNED AS ACTING AREA SUPVR AND HAD JUST RELIEVED THE CTLR FOR A TELEPHONE CALL. DURING A SHORT POS RELIEF BRIEFING, THE RELIEVED CTLR MENTIONED MLG Y AS BEING NEAR THE SECTOR BOUNDARY AND AS A POINTOUT FROM ZTL. RPTR ADMITTED THAT HE FORGOT ABOUT THAT ACFT (MLG Y) WHEN GAVE MLG X A DSCNT CLRNC FROM FL310 TO FL260 AND THROUGH THE ALT OF MLG Y AT FL290. NOT UNTIL THE C/A SOUNDED DID RPTR REMEMBER ABOUT THE POINTOUT ACFT. HIS REMEDY WAS TO TURN MLG Y (WHO WAS NOT ON HIS FREQ). WHEN THE TURN WAS GIVEN, MLG X RESPONDED, 'GOT IT.' THE TURN GIVEN TO MLG Y WAS 180 DEGS FROM THE EVASIVE TURN THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO MLG X. BY THE TIME RPTR SAW THE EFFECTS OF THE TURN BY THE WRONG ACFT, IT WAS TOO LATE TO SAVE THE SEP. AN OPERROR WAS PROCESSED WITH NO PLT INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE ZJX QA SAID THAT IT COULD NOT BE PROVEN THAT MLG X TOOK A TURN GIVEN TO ANOTHER ACFT.

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.

Air carrier-medium large transport given descent through altitude of opposite direction air carrier-medium large transport resulting in less than standard separation.