ZFW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL330 DURING WX RERTES AND DEVS.
Synopsis
ZFW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL330 DURING WX RERTES AND DEVS.
Narrative
WX EXTENDED FROM W OF SPS TO MLC. I WAS WORKING SPS HIGH ALT SECTOR (ZFW SECTOR 47); DFW ARR SECTOR. NUMEROUS ACFT WERE DEVIATING THROUGH AND AROUND THE WX AND NEEDED ROUTING CHANGES. ACFT FROM THE N LNDG IAH HAD BEEN ROUTED THROUGH THE W HALF OF MY SECTOR AND INTO WEST TEXAS. DFW DEPS TO NW UNITED STATES DESTS NORMALLY ROUTED THROUGH MY SECTOR HAD BEEN ROUTED AROUND IT; HOWEVER; IAH DEPS WERE STILL COMING THAT WAY. DFW DEPS WITH DESTS TO THE N DEPARTED W AND CAME THROUGH MY SECTOR; LOOKING TO CUT MILEAGE OFF THEIR RERTES. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GIVE THESE SHORTCUTS; IT REQUIRED CHANGING THEM FROM WBOUND TO EBOUND ALTS. DFW ARRS FROM TURKI-HIGH (ZFW SECTOR 93) HAD BEEN RTED TO JEN; BUT I WAS GETTING SEVERAL DFW ARRS FROM POINTS N AND FROM AMARILLO HIGH (ZAB SECTORS 97 AND 98). ACFT #2 CHKED ON WITH CONCERNS ABOUT FUEL ON HIS LENGTHY ROUTING TO HOUSTON. WE WERE ALLOWED TO GIVE HIM A ROUTING OVER MILLSAP (MQP) AND I DID SO WITH A CLB TO FL330 AND CLRNC TO DEVIATE FOR WX. EVEN THOUGH ALL DFW TFC FROM SECTOR 93 HAD BEEN RTED S; SECTOR 93 GAVE ME ACFT #1 LNDG ADS. AN E135 HAD DEPARTED OKC; DEST IAH. INSTEAD OF BEING RTED TO WEST TEXAS; WITH OTHER IAH TFC; HE WAS ALLOWED TO DEPART S AND WAS A SLOW CLBER AROUND SPS; SBOUND THROUGH THE WX. I WANTED TO GET ACFT #1 BELOW ACFT #2 BECAUSE THE SBOUND ACFT OVER SPS AND SEVERAL ACFT FROM THE SE WERE GOING TO HINDER ACFT #1 DSCNT INTO ADS. I ASKED ACFT #1 TO TURN 10 DEGS R AND DSND TO FL290. HE ASKED IF HE COULD DELAY HIS DSCNT 4 MINS. I TOLD HIM IT WAS NOW OR IN 10 MINS. HE SAID HE WOULD TURN AND START HIS DSCNT. MY ATTN WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER SIT IN MY SECTOR AND WHEN I FINISHED; CONFLICT ALERT HAD ACTIVATED. ACFT #2 COMING UPON AN AREA OF WX HAD TURNED HARD R. ACFT #1 HAD ONLY GONE DOWN 1700 FT IN THE 2 1/2 MINS SINCE TAKING HIS CLRNC. I ISSUED TFC TO ACFT #1 AND TOLD HIM TO EXPEDITE THROUGH FL310. I ISSUED TFC TO AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN ACFT #2 BUT HE WAS UNABLE DUE TO WX. I TURNED ACFT #1 30 DEGS R AND THEN TO A 170 DEG HDG. SEPARATION WAS LOST; GETTING AS CLOSE AS 3.8 MI AND 500 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) WX. 2) EXCESSIVE RERTES FOR WX CAUSED FUEL CONCERNS. 3) ACFT ALLOWED TO GET WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE (DIDN'T GET RERTES OTHERS WERE GETTING). HUMAN PERFORMANCE: I HAD SPENT 30-45 MINS WORKING THE HDOF POS FOR THIS SECTOR BEFORE TAKING THE RADAR POS. I HAD WATCHED THE PREVIOUS CTLR FAIL TO START ARRS DOWN IN A TIMELY MANNER WHICH HAD CAUSED PROBS FOR THE RECEIVING CTLR. I HAD MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO GET ARRS DOWN EARLY. I KNEW I MUST FORCE ACFT #2 BELOW ACFT #1 BECAUSE OF THEIR SLOW CONVERGING AND SUBSEQUENT DIVERGING. I KNEW WITH THE 10 DEG R TURN I WOULD STILL HAVE CONVERGENCE; BUT IN 4 MINS I SHOULD STILL HAVE ABOUT 8 MI LATERAL AND COULD TAKE MORE ACTION IF NECESSARY. I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT I NEEDED 4000 FT TO GET ACFT #2 BELOW ACFT #1 INSTEAD OF 6000 FT. THE SLOW DSCNT BY ACFT #2 AND THE HARD TURN BY ACFT #1 TO AVOID WX LED TO THE DETERIORATION OF THE SIT. BOTH ACTIONS WERE PREDICTABLE. I SHOULD HAVE LIMITED THE DEVS OF ACFT #1 AND GIVEN ACFT #2 A TIME TO BE BELOW FL310.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.