ZTL CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION AT FL350 WHEN SECTORS WERE BEING COMBINED BY A SUPVR FOR A LATE NIGHT OP.

Date: 2006-03 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

ZTL CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION AT FL350 WHEN SECTORS WERE BEING COMBINED BY A SUPVR FOR A LATE NIGHT OP.

Narrative

SUPVR COMBINED ULTRA HIGH TO HIGH; ALTHOUGH CTLRS TOLD HIM IT WAS TOO EARLY. THEN SUPVR COMBINED HIGH SECTORS TOGETHER ALTHOUGH AT LEAST 3 CTLRS TOLD HIM IT WAS TOO BUSY TO COMBINE. THE CTLR AT GADSDEN SECTOR; WHERE ALL SECTORS HAD BEEN COMBINED; TOLD THE SUPVR THE SECTOR WAS ABOUT TO BECOME OVERLOADED. HE REQUESTED DEP RESTRS AND THE SUPVR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. I HAD TO RELIEVE THE PREVIOUS CTLR AND TOLD THE SUPVR TO SPLIT THE SECTORS AS THEY WERE OVERLOADED. I ASKED FOR RESTRS WITH NO RESPONSE. I TOLD THE SUPVR I WAS WORKING UNDER ARTICLE 65. TOLD THE SUPVR TOO MANY AIRPLANES TO WATCH. SUPVR ADDED A TANKER. SEPARATION WAS LOST SEVERAL MINS LATER. DUE TO THE OVERLOADED SECTOR; NONE OF THE 3 CTLRS WORKING SAW THE CONFLICTION UNTIL ALMOST TOO LATE. I TURNED BOTH ACFT 40 DEGS AND TRIED TO EXPEDITE 1 ACFT AND GET AN ALT RPT WITHOUT SUCCESS. I DON'T HAVE THE CALL SIGNS BECAUSE WE DON'T USE FLT STRIPS ANY MORE. I BELIEVE ONE WAS AN ACR X AND ONE WAS AN ACR Y. I WAS NEVER TOLD SEPARATION WAS LOST; BUT I 'HEARD' THE SNITCH WENT OFF.

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