IND CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 10000 FT WHEN CLRING ACFT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT CITING STARS COLOR DATA AS CAUSAL FACTOR.
Synopsis
IND CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 10000 FT WHEN CLRING ACFT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT CITING STARS COLOR DATA AS CAUSAL FACTOR.
Narrative
2 ACFT INBOUND FROM SE; FIRST ONE DSNDING TO 10000 FT; SECOND DSNDING TO 12000 FT. FIRST ACFT NEEDED TO GET LOWER TO GO TO A SATELLITE ARPT (EYE). I USED THE STAR 2 EQUIP TO HAND OFF THE FIRST ACFT TO E DEP POS; I WAS WORKING FEEDER POS. 2 WKS AGO FAA INSTALLED A PROGRAM THAT MAKES ACFT THAT YOU HAND OFF WITHIN THE FACILITY CHANGE TO GREEN COLOR. ACFT DATA BLOCKS YOU'RE WORKING STAY WHITE. BASICALLY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING RADAR; ALL DATA BLOCKS ARE GREEN EXCEPT THE ONES YOU'RE WORKING; OR THE ONES YOU HAVE HANDED OFF TO OTHER FACILITIES. IT CREATES A SENSE OF IF THEY'RE GREEN I DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEM; THEY ARE NOT MINE. WHEN I ASKED E DEP FOR LOWER ON THE FIRST ACFT; THEY GAVE ME LOWER. I LOOKED AT WHERE THE 2 AIRPLANE DATA BLOCKS WERE AND ISSUED LOWER TO THE SECOND ACFT. SECOND ACFT WAS WHITE; FIRST ACFT HAD GONE TO GREEN BECAUSE I HANDED HIM OFF. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I LOOKED AT THE REPLAY OF THE INCIDENT. HAD THE FIRST ACFT STAYED WHITE; I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS ERROR WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. MANY CTLRS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COLOR CHANGE BECAUSE ONCE THEY CHANGE COLOR YOU TEND TO IGNORE THEM. THEY SHOULD ONLY CHANGE COLORS WHEN THE CTLR CHOOSES TO CHANGE THE COLOR. SOME FACILITIES DO NOT INSTALL THIS OPTION FOR THAT VERY REASON.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.