Regional Jet CL65; Undifferentiated or Other Model
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Human Factors; Procedure
I was working sector 24 in moderate traffic. An unmanned aircraft had been out in their airspace working but had been cleared to enter the TFR and descend into RDR airspace. I shipped the Drone out of 16;000 FT in the descent with no traffic situations. I am no longer speaking to the Drone while later a CRJ departed GFK; when I took the hand off on the CRJ. The aircraft was on a southbound heading and was not in conflict with any aircraft. I continued working my other aircraft when I noticed a conflict alert between the Drone and the CRJ: it appeared as if the CRJ was on a west heading towards the Drone who was on a southerly heading. The Drone was out of 14;000 FT or 13;000 FT in the descent into RDR. The CRJ then checked on my frequency from GFK Approach and was in the climb out of 10;000 for 23;000 FT; converging with the Drone who GFK Approach was talking to. I used the shout line to demand that GFK stop the Drone at 12;000 and I would stop the CRJ who had left 10;000 at 11;000 FT. I hopped on the line and immediately stopped the CRJ at 11;000 and turned him to a 180 heading away from the Drone immediately. I added the turn because I did not know what or where the Rrone was beginning his northerly turn in the TFR. While separation was never lost; separation was NOT ensured by GFK Approach. When the CRJ checked on my frequency the route lines were about 1 minute from each other. This was a very unsafe situation; especially because it involved a Drone aircraft with no TCAS whom we do not know to be reliable for stopping or turning to avoid other aircraft. I then green lighted GFK Approach and gave them a piece of my mind about not separating air traffic. My apologies; not my finest hour; GFK Approach seemed very confused at how the situation had developed. Upon talking to the pilot and after speaking with Approach the GFK Approach Controller had cleared the CRJ 'cleared on course' after the initial vector to avoid conflict. The CRJ then proceeded to turn back to the filed course GFK direct to JMS and it put them right into the path of the Drone. GFK Approach assumed that 'cleared on course' meant the same as 'cleared direct JMS'; the next fix on the CRJ's flight plan. [They need] training on a regular basis GFK Approach displays an inability to recognize or diffuse air traffic situations. Now we are adding unmanned aircraft to traffic situations regularly brushed aside because the GFK Approach is not up to par. Determine departure procedures for aircraft and proper phraseology to assist aircraft in avoiding the TFR's; since it cannot be expected that GFK Approach will provide and ensure separation.
Air Traffic Controller reports about a developing aircraft separation issue between CRJ and Drone.