DENVER AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER

TRAINING DEPARTMENT - DYNAMIC SIMULATION LAB - 10:15 A.M. / 1715Z

   "November one two eight alpha, turn right heading one five zero," Doug Jackson said while sitting at the radar console that represented the "Aspen" sector. "Descend and maintain one four thousand."

   "Two eight alpha turning right to one five zero, and descending to fourteen thousand," replied Al Bruce who was sitting across the room in the "Remote Pilot" position.

   Doug nervously tapped his pencil against the computer keyboard that sat in front of him. "Universal one eighty descend and maintain one seven thousand...currently number three for the approach. Airspeed your discretion."

   "Down to one six thousand...you got an altimeter?" Al responded.

   Training Supervisor Randy Turner swore to himself, knowing that Al purposely read back the wrong altitude.

   "The altitude in one seven thousand and the the Aspen altimeter is two niner-niner two," Doug replied.

   Thirty seconds of silence passed as Doug continued to tap the pencil against the keyboard.

   Then with a flurry, Al pressed the video screen "button" that said: "Flight Service," which caused a tone to ring at the sector. At the same time, he called over a voice circuit to indicate a call coming from the air traffic control tower at Aspen. As soon as he was done, Al called on the simulated radio frequency, asking as N128A, if he was cleared for the instrument approach at Aspen.

   Showing his twenty nine years of experience, Doug prioritized which action to take care of first. "November one two eight alpha..."

   As Doug responded to N128A, Al made several computer entries to initiate radar hand-offs from adjacent sectors to Aspen. Randy watched Doug's actions, occasionally writing some of his observations down on the training form. He knew from experience that this practice problem was just now coming to the phase where it would become very busy for approximately five minutes. In the back of his mind, Randy knew that the next few actions that Doug would take would be crucial.

   Al continued to work fast to keep up with the written script that the training problem was to follow.

   The problem had reached its peak. Randy sat back in his chair, confident in Doug's ability to continue. Except for a few errors in phraseology, Doug had sailed through the toughest part without any problems.

   Suddenly, Al called on the radio.

   "Denver Center, November one two eight alpha is missed approach at Aspen. We're not quite sure just where we are at?"

   The tapping of the pencil stopped. Doug looked at the radarscope in silence. He leaned closer to the radarscope. "November...ahh...November one two eight alpha...ahh roger...fly the...fly the ahh, published...fly the published missed approach procedures," he stammered.