ARTCC RADAR CTLR TURNED AN ACR DC9 AND CLBED HIM FROM SAME ALT AS A FALCON AND TO CLR A MIL TANKER WHO WAS REQUESTING A BLOCK ALT THAT BOTH THE ACR AND FALCON WERE IN. THE ACR DID NOT HEAR HIS CLB CLRNC AND THE FALCON WAS TURNED SO AS TO BECOME TFC FOR THE ACR. THE CTLR INTERVENED; BUT NOT BEFORE SEPARATION WAS LOST.

Date: 1996-06 · Aircraft: DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model

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

Synopsis

ARTCC RADAR CTLR TURNED AN ACR DC9 AND CLBED HIM FROM SAME ALT AS A FALCON AND TO CLR A MIL TANKER WHO WAS REQUESTING A BLOCK ALT THAT BOTH THE ACR AND FALCON WERE IN. THE ACR DID NOT HEAR HIS CLB CLRNC AND THE FALCON WAS TURNED SO AS TO BECOME TFC FOR THE ACR. THE CTLR INTERVENED; BUT NOT BEFORE SEPARATION WAS LOST.

Narrative

ACR X (DC9) WAS OUTBOUND FROM STL EBOUND ON THE BLUES 1 DEP AT FL270 REQUESTING HIGHER (STOPPED FOR SBOUND TFC AT FL280). LTT (Y) (DA10) WAS WBOUND AT FL270 REQUESTING HIGHER AFTER DEPARTING AN ARPT IN THE CTR (ZID)/SECTOR ADJACENT TO MY AIRSPACE. LTT (Y) HAD TFC IMMEDIATELY OVERHEAD AT FL280 WBOUND AND REQUESTING FL260 THROUGH FL280 TO CONDUCT AIR REFUELING. THIS ACFT (KC135) WAS NOT A FACTOR WITH ACR X. WHEN ACR X CLRED THE SBOUND FL280 TFC; I ISSUED A CLRNC TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL290 AND EXPEDITE THE CLB. EXACTLY 1 AND 1/2 MINS LATER; I CLRED LTT (Y) TO TURN L HDG 240 (APPROX 30 DEGS) IN ORDER TO MOVE HIM S OF THE AIR REFUEL AIRSPACE (AND KC135 AT FL280). AS SOON AS LTT (Y) STARTED TO READ BACK THE CLRNC; I REALIZED THAT ACR X HAD NOT COPIED THE CLB CLRNC AND WOULD BE IN IMMEDIATE CONFLICT WITH LTT (Y). WHEN LTT (Y) COMPLETED THE READBACK; I CANCELED THAT CLRNC AND ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE R TURN HDG 290 DEGS AND ISSUED ACR X A R TURN HDG 180 DEGS. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT LOSS OF SEPARATION TO 4 MI. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THERE WAS WX TO THE E/SE OF THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THESE 3 ACFT CAUSING NUMEROUS DEVS BY OTHER ACFT. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND I WAS HAVING TO REPEAT MANY XMISSIONS. I FEEL MANY PLTS WERE NOT PROPERLY MONITORING THE FREQ BEFORE XMITTING. I FEEL THE DIRECT CAUSE WAS THE FAILURE OF ACR X TO RECEIVE AND EXECUTE THE CLRNC TO CLB; BUT THE PRIMARY PROB WAS MY FAILURE TO INSURE THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND EXECUTED PRIOR TO ISSUING TURN CLRNC TO LTT (Y). MY MIND TOLD ME ONE THING; BUT THIS IN FACT WAS NOT THE FACT (THAT ACR X HAD CLBED).

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