Less than standard separation between air carrier and military trainer. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	102079
Time
Date	198901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : crp tower : ngp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Trainer
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	102079
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Air carrier X, being vectored for ILS approach, encountered turbulence and was vectored eastbound away from turbulence and landing runway at 2000'. Pilot then advised he had sighted airport and was cleared for a visual approach to a runway of his choice. He was changed to tower frequency. The local controller observed air carrier X eastbound on a converging course with military aircraft Y on final to an adjacent airport and in adjoining airspace. The tower controller assigned X a vector away from MTR Y while the controller in the adjacent airspace was vectoring his MTR away from air carrier X. Since neither controller was aware of the actual assigned headings by the other controller the end result was that they vectored the aircraft at each other. Neither pilot saw the other and at least 1 mi lateral and 700' vertical separation existed when the targets were at their closest points. Situation occurred because of lack of coordination and anticipation of pilot actions in an unusual and abnormal situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR AND MIL TRAINER. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X, BEING VECTORED FOR ILS APCH, ENCOUNTERED TURB AND WAS VECTORED EBND AWAY FROM TURB AND LNDG RWY AT 2000'. PLT THEN ADVISED HE HAD SIGHTED ARPT AND WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO A RWY OF HIS CHOICE. HE WAS CHANGED TO TWR FREQ. THE LCL CTLR OBSERVED ACR X EBND ON A CONVERGING COURSE WITH MIL ACFT Y ON FINAL TO AN ADJACENT ARPT AND IN ADJOINING AIRSPACE. THE TWR CTLR ASSIGNED X A VECTOR AWAY FROM MTR Y WHILE THE CTLR IN THE ADJACENT AIRSPACE WAS VECTORING HIS MTR AWAY FROM ACR X. SINCE NEITHER CTLR WAS AWARE OF THE ACTUAL ASSIGNED HDGS BY THE OTHER CTLR THE END RESULT WAS THAT THEY VECTORED THE ACFT AT EACH OTHER. NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTHER AND AT LEAST 1 MI LATERAL AND 700' VERTICAL SEPARATION EXISTED WHEN THE TARGETS WERE AT THEIR CLOSEST POINTS. SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF LACK OF COORD AND ANTICIPATION OF PLT ACTIONS IN AN UNUSUAL AND ABNORMAL SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.