Two Near Midairs at Chicago Center

Within a week of a near midair between two regional airliners controllers nearly sent two private aircraft over Wisconsin hurtling into each other. The Chicago Tribune reported the event was at 11:44 a.m. Saturday, November 17 and involved a Cirrus SR22 out of Tri-County Regional Airport near Lone Rock, Wis., and a Cessna Caravan 208 outbound from Midway to Leeward County, Wis. which came within 500 feet vertically of one another.
The FAA blamed the incident – the second most critical error – on a miscommunication between Chicago Center and controllers in Madison. The National Air Traffic Controller Association blamed the error on over-worked staffers and understaffing. The FAA classified the error as B, the third since October 1 at the facility compared to only one during the previous 12 months.
The Cirrus was ascending to cruise en route to Faribault, Minn. While the Caravan was on approach to Leeward County. An investigation revealed Madison asked Chicago Center to keep aircraft from flying below 4,000 feet in which the Cirrus was operating. Chicago Center did as asked, according to the Tribune but restricted the limitation to within a five-mile radius of the Lone Rock airport from which the Cirrus took off.
In the incident between the two regional airliners – also classified as a Class B error – the threat collision avoidance system prompted evasive action when a Republic Airways Bombardier CRJ-200 out of Greensboro, N.C., and Skyways Airlines Dornier 328 were allowed to get within 1.3 miles and 600 feet vertically last Tuesday. The flight was operated by Republic Airways for US Airways, but, as with many flights, was also listed as a United Express flight. It had 31 passengers on board, while the Skyways aircraft carried 24.
The Cirrus/Caravan incident was the fourth Class B incident at the Chicago Center since October 1. The two airliners were at 25,000 feet over Indiana. The FAA indicated the error occurred when a veteran controller at Chicago Center dropped the regional aircraft from the radar screen after acknowledgement en route to Chicago. The Midwest/Skyways aircraft was en route from Milwaukee to Dayton when the controller, just coming off of break, allowed it to descend in conflict with the United Express aircraft.