Snitch machine
Moderator: ATCBob
Snitch machine
First question. Is the so-called 'snitch machine' still used to catch operational errors, and if so, how does it work?
Re: Snitch machine
Hi Lomcevak, I split this off the introductory thread.
The 'snitch' is what we call the OEDP ("operational error detection program"). That's the software that constantly monitors radar separation between all aircraft and sounds an alarm at the supervisor's station if any aircraft get within minimum separation. I think it's pretty straightforward how it works, it just checks the separation between all tracked aircraft at the facility constantly. Before about 10 years ago when everything ran off a 16MB computer, there were ways to defeat it a few daring controllers would try if they knew they were about to lose separation (under risk of immediate firing), but nowadays it's pretty undefeatable.
Although sometimes it will go off for "legitimate" reasons too, like when aircraft are under visual separation but just not radar separation. In either case it causes your heart to sink when you hear the "beep-beep-beep" go off down the room, followed a few seconds later by a phone call to the area and the supervisor walking over to see what's up. Most controllers know when it's about to activate though (whether from true mistake or not) and will tell the supervisor "Delta and United are visual" even before it goes off, or just look up and shrug if they knew they just had a separation error.
The 'snitch' is what we call the OEDP ("operational error detection program"). That's the software that constantly monitors radar separation between all aircraft and sounds an alarm at the supervisor's station if any aircraft get within minimum separation. I think it's pretty straightforward how it works, it just checks the separation between all tracked aircraft at the facility constantly. Before about 10 years ago when everything ran off a 16MB computer, there were ways to defeat it a few daring controllers would try if they knew they were about to lose separation (under risk of immediate firing), but nowadays it's pretty undefeatable.
Although sometimes it will go off for "legitimate" reasons too, like when aircraft are under visual separation but just not radar separation. In either case it causes your heart to sink when you hear the "beep-beep-beep" go off down the room, followed a few seconds later by a phone call to the area and the supervisor walking over to see what's up. Most controllers know when it's about to activate though (whether from true mistake or not) and will tell the supervisor "Delta and United are visual" even before it goes off, or just look up and shrug if they knew they just had a separation error.
Re: Snitch machine
Thank you very much for your answer. I have always felt this could be a very useful tool if a few tweaks were made, such as instead of alerting EVERY incident, no matter how minor or trivial, including those where skilled controllers can perhaps cut a tiny corner to save an airliner some time and money, it were programmed to detect and announce only more serious deviations from the regs.
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Re: Snitch machine
ATCBob, a further question for you how does the conflict alert work at your workstation? Does every workstation have it?
Up here we do, although same as you it does not provide much effect... climbing someone underneath someone else will quite often set it off even though separation was never affected etc...
Up here we do, although same as you it does not provide much effect... climbing someone underneath someone else will quite often set it off even though separation was never affected etc...
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