Narrative:

The yng sector became saturated very rapidly with traffic due to the airline's new concept of hubbing. I was given assistance early by having a tracker controller plug into assist, thus helping to eliminate the inputs into the computer and the coordination that I was required to do. Cle approach was landing on runway 23 thus requiring us to have the inbnds to cle slowed to 250 KTS. Yng sector for all practical purposes is a 60 mi box of airspace starting 10 mi east of djb VOR, extending to about 10 east of yng VOR. A number of unusual situations were taking place, including slower turbo propeller aircraft departing cle and satellite airports being followed by high performance aircraft, east and northeast bound heading for the arrs. I was working a string of arrs using airspeed, which was not working due to aircraft compliance or calibration problems, thus requiring additional vectoring to cle. Arrs must cross noels intersection at 10000' indicating 250 KTS. I had an aircraft who was not on my frequency and who could not be reached, complicating sequencing and thus requiring additional vectoring. Noels is only 30 mi from yng. Aircraft are traveling across the ground at 5-8 mi a minute thus giving me 4-6 mins to space 9+ aircraft over the same fix. We are required to give clear approach 5 mi contrast and increasing landing cle. We shoot for 10 knowing we will lose distance when aircraft slow to 250 KTS over noels. To sum it up, even if things were working perfectly, I had room for 4 inbound spaced 10 mi apart and was working 9 inbnds in that small area. Aircraft were not listening also, which increased the complexity. 2 aircraft eventually ended up on head on courses at FL180. I could not descend or climb these aircraft due to additional traffic above and below. Evasive turns and altitude changes were made as soon as it became available. Standard sep was lost. (2 aircraft within 2.5 mi of each other before I could descend one.) ARTCC requires 5 mi. Supplemental information from acn 102520: controller told us to descend to 16000', then cancelled the order. Told us to remain at 18000'. Then told us to turn right to 90 degrees. We were heading south at the time, so that would be long way around. We questioned right turn. Controller told us to turn to 270 degrees and make immediate descent to 16000'. As we did that another aircraft passed over top of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: THE YNG SECTOR BECAME SATURATED VERY RAPIDLY WITH TFC DUE TO THE AIRLINE'S NEW CONCEPT OF HUBBING. I WAS GIVEN ASSISTANCE EARLY BY HAVING A TRACKER CTLR PLUG INTO ASSIST, THUS HELPING TO ELIMINATE THE INPUTS INTO THE COMPUTER AND THE COORD THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO DO. CLE APCH WAS LNDG ON RWY 23 THUS REQUIRING US TO HAVE THE INBNDS TO CLE SLOWED TO 250 KTS. YNG SECTOR FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES IS A 60 MI BOX OF AIRSPACE STARTING 10 MI E OF DJB VOR, EXTENDING TO ABOUT 10 E OF YNG VOR. A NUMBER OF UNUSUAL SITUATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE, INCLUDING SLOWER TURBO PROP ACFT DEPARTING CLE AND SATELLITE ARPTS BEING FOLLOWED BY HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT, E AND NE BOUND HDG FOR THE ARRS. I WAS WORKING A STRING OF ARRS USING AIRSPD, WHICH WAS NOT WORKING DUE TO ACFT COMPLIANCE OR CALIBRATION PROBS, THUS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL VECTORING TO CLE. ARRS MUST CROSS NOELS INTXN AT 10000' INDICATING 250 KTS. I HAD AN ACFT WHO WAS NOT ON MY FREQ AND WHO COULD NOT BE REACHED, COMPLICATING SEQUENCING AND THUS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL VECTORING. NOELS IS ONLY 30 MI FROM YNG. ACFT ARE TRAVELING ACROSS THE GND AT 5-8 MI A MINUTE THUS GIVING ME 4-6 MINS TO SPACE 9+ ACFT OVER THE SAME FIX. WE ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE CLR APCH 5 MI CONTRAST AND INCREASING LNDG CLE. WE SHOOT FOR 10 KNOWING WE WILL LOSE DISTANCE WHEN ACFT SLOW TO 250 KTS OVER NOELS. TO SUM IT UP, EVEN IF THINGS WERE WORKING PERFECTLY, I HAD ROOM FOR 4 INBND SPACED 10 MI APART AND WAS WORKING 9 INBNDS IN THAT SMALL AREA. ACFT WERE NOT LISTENING ALSO, WHICH INCREASED THE COMPLEXITY. 2 ACFT EVENTUALLY ENDED UP ON HEAD ON COURSES AT FL180. I COULD NOT DSND OR CLB THESE ACFT DUE TO ADDITIONAL TFC ABOVE AND BELOW. EVASIVE TURNS AND ALT CHANGES WERE MADE AS SOON AS IT BECAME AVAILABLE. STANDARD SEP WAS LOST. (2 ACFT WITHIN 2.5 MI OF EACH OTHER BEFORE I COULD DSND ONE.) ARTCC REQUIRES 5 MI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 102520: CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO 16000', THEN CANCELLED THE ORDER. TOLD US TO REMAIN AT 18000'. THEN TOLD US TO TURN RIGHT TO 90 DEGS. WE WERE HEADING S AT THE TIME, SO THAT WOULD BE LONG WAY AROUND. WE QUESTIONED RIGHT TURN. CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO 270 DEGS AND MAKE IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 16000'. AS WE DID THAT ANOTHER ACFT PASSED OVER TOP OF US.

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.