1988-11 · NASA ASRS report 98663
TRAINEE CTLR REACTED TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE AND CLIMBED AN FGT INTO AN ENRTOUE SMA RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.
I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS WITH A TRNEE AT WAYCROSS (R29) FROM ABOUT XS05Z UNTIL XS37Z. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD WE RECEIVED AN OVERRIDE CALL CONCERNING FGT X. WE WERE REQUESTED TO MOVE FGT X FROM HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000' TO EITHER 5000 OR 7000'. THE TRNEE ASSIGNED FGT X 7000' IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OVERRIDE CALL. I IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED THIS ACTION BECAUSE IT WAS UNCLEAR TO ME WHO IT WAS THAT HAD MADE THE REQUEST. THE REASON THIS WAS SO IMPORTANT WAS THAT FGT X WAS NOT IN MY AREA OF CTL. THE TRNEE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS THE ALD (R74) SECTOR THAT HAD MADE THE REQUEST; THE SECTOR IN WHOSE AIRSPACE FGT X WAS IN AT THE TIME. WE WERE CONVINCED THAT ALD; R74; HAD SOME NON RADAR TFC IN THE AREA WHICH MADE THE REQUEST FOR FGT X TO BE CHANGED AN IMMINENT SITUATION. SHORTLY AFTER CHANGING FGT X TO 7000' WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH SMA Y OPP DIRECTION AT 7000'. THEN WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED FGT X TO 6000'. FGT X IMMEDIATELY DSNDED AND RPTED OUT OF 6500 FOR 6000'. LESS THAN MINIMUM SEP OCCURRED BTWN SMA Y AND FGT X AT APPROX XS34Z. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FGT THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT WAS LEAVING RPTR'S AIRSPACE AND ENTERING R74. THE SMA WAS ALREADY FAR ENOUGH INTO R74 TO HAVE CAUSED THE TAG TO DROP ON RPTR'S RADAR. WHEN THE OVERRIDE TOLD THEM TO CLB THE FGT TO 7000'; RPTR WAS NOT SURE WHO HAD CALLED AND ASKED HIS TRNEE TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION. THE TRNEE ASSURED RPTR THAT THE CALL HAD COME FROM R74. SUCH WAS NOT THE CASE; AND WHEN THE FAST FGT WAS CLBED; R74 SAW THE PENING LOSS OF SEP AND TOLD RPTR TO RETURN THE FGT TO 6000'. THIS WAS DONE; BUT TOO LATE TO SAVE THE SEP WITH THE SMA AT 7000'.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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