Less than standard separation between 2 air carrier. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	105890
Time
Date	198903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	105890
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24600 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Air carrier X departed lax on the flipper 3 departure, followed by air carrier Y who was 7 mi in trail. Approach, because of flow restrictions, must give all aircraft 250 KTS. They did not. By the time I observed air carrier Y speeding up it was too late to maintain sep greater than 5 mi. Air carrier X was just climbing out of 11000', so his speed was just increasing. Had lax approach applied 250 KTS to air carrier Y he would have told me he was normal speed, I could have used another means. The error was committed by lax approach and I was the victim of the error. Even though my supervisor, area manager quality assurance, and center management back me, and work hard to support me the regional office decided I had time to resolve the situation and gave no blame to the controller that caused the error by not giving 250 KTS and not telling me that the trailing aircraft was normal speed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACR X DEPARTED LAX ON THE FLIPPER 3 DEP, FOLLOWED BY ACR Y WHO WAS 7 MI IN TRAIL. APCH, BECAUSE OF FLOW RESTRICTIONS, MUST GIVE ALL ACFT 250 KTS. THEY DID NOT. BY THE TIME I OBSERVED ACR Y SPEEDING UP IT WAS TOO LATE TO MAINTAIN SEP GREATER THAN 5 MI. ACR X WAS JUST CLBING OUT OF 11000', SO HIS SPD WAS JUST INCREASING. HAD LAX APCH APPLIED 250 KTS TO ACR Y HE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME HE WAS NORMAL SPD, I COULD HAVE USED ANOTHER MEANS. THE ERROR WAS COMMITTED BY LAX APCH AND I WAS THE VICTIM OF THE ERROR. EVEN THOUGH MY SUPVR, AREA MGR QUALITY ASSURANCE, AND CENTER MGMNT BACK ME, AND WORK HARD TO SUPPORT ME THE REGIONAL OFFICE DECIDED I HAD TIME TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION AND GAVE NO BLAME TO THE CTLR THAT CAUSED THE ERROR BY NOT GIVING 250 KTS AND NOT TELLING ME THAT THE TRAILING ACFT WAS NORMAL SPD.

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.