ACR X DSCNT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACFT Y. SYS ERROR.

Date: 1993-11 · Aircraft: Widebody; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

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

Synopsis

ACR X DSCNT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACFT Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative

ACR X LOST SEPARATION WITH ACFT Y. AT THE TIME I WAS AT THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS AT THE HLG SECTOR. I RECEIVED A POINTOUT FROM PIT APCH ON ACFT Y PROCEEDING SW BTWN THE HLG AND MGW BOUNDARY AT 12000 FT. I TRACKED A DATA BLOCK ON THE ACFT AND BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTN OF THE RADAR CTLR. THE MGW CTLR THEN CALLED THE RADAR CTLR AND AGAIN POINTED OUT THE SAME ACFT AND HANDED OFF ACR X DSNDING TO 13000 FT. SEVERAL XMISSIONS WERE MADE TO OTHER ACFT AND THEN ACR X WAS CLRED TO 10000 FT. AT THIS TIME; I NOTICED WHAT THE CTLR HAD DONE AND I TRIED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION BY PLACING A DISTANCE RANGE INDICATOR AROUND ACR X AND TOLD THE RADAR CTLR TO STOP THE DSCNT. HOWEVER; IT WAS TOO LATE AND ACR X HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH 12200 FT AND CLBED BACK TO 13000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 257768: ORIGINALLY I HAD CLRED ACR X TO AIR VOR WITH HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS; PITTSBURGH APCH COORDINATED FOR THE FLT TO GO PAST AIR VOR ON A NW HDG AND THEN TURN DIRECT TO HLG VOR DSNDING TO 10000 FT. I ISSUED THE CLRNC IN STEPS. HOWEVER; I ISSUED THE DSCNT CLRNC IN THE FIRST STEP. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE 5 MI WITH THE TFC AT 12000 FT; I ATTEMPTED TO RECLR ACR X FLT TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT. I HAD TO WAIT FOR ACFT TO STOP XMITTING BEFORE I COULD ISSUE THE ALT TO ACR X FLT WHICH WAS NOW DOWN TO 12500 FT DSNDING. IT TOOK A SHORT TIME FOR ACR X FLT TO CLB BACK TO 13000 FT.

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