SMA X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Date: 1991-10 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

SMA X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative

SMA X WAS LEVEL 4000 SWBOUND ESTABLISHED ON V20. I HAD TO CALL MOB APCH TO GET POS VERIFICATION DUE TO ACFT IN COAST AND NON-ARTS TRACK UPDATE. SMA X STAYED IN COAST FOR APPROX 10-15 MI. ALT WAS VERIFIED LEVEL 4000. ACR Y WAS A COMMUTER LTT DSNDING OUT OF 5000 FOR 3000. ACR Y WANTED TO TURN R TO BFM VORTAC FOR A BETTER APCH TO MOBILE. ACR Y WAS FREQ CHANGED PRIOR TO BEING LEVEL AT 3000. ACFT APPEARED TO BE 4 MI APART. I TURNED SMA X HDG 280 TO ENSURE SEPARATION. MOBILE CALLED AND RPTED THE ACFT APPEARED CLOSER THAN 3 MI. HOUSTON WAS CALLED AND ACFT WERE NO CLOSER THAN 2 3/4 MI AT 5000 FT. I SHOULD HAVE APPLIED BETTER OR MORE POSITIVE CTL BTWN THE ACFT. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THAT WAS HAPPENING WITH SMA X IS CONSTANT COASTING. EVEN THOUGH BEACON CHANNELS WERE SWITCHED THE SAME ACFT CONTINUED TO COAST. SMA X ALT ALSO FLUCTUATED EVEN THOUGH ALT WAS VERIFIED AND MOBILE APCH INDICATED 4000 WITH A GOOD TAG AND ALT. ANOTHER FACTOR EFFECTING THE SYS HAS TO DO WITH ACFT HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER FACILITY. YOU CANNOT MOVE THEIR DATA TAGS WITHOUT MOVING ALL OF THEM. (THIS IS WITH THE ARTS IIA). AT THE TIME AN ACFT AT 8500 CLBING TO 9000 WAS OVER THE COAST TAG WHICH WAS IN HDOF STATUS TO HIGH RADAR TO HOLD THE TAG ON RADAR. ALL THESE TAGS OVERLAPPED AT TIME OF INCIDENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.