Air carrier was issued a descent resulting in loss of separation with an small transport.

Attributes
ACN	109045
Time
Date	198904
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : seg
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	109045
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	108726
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 21000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working sector 27 radar. Traffic was moderate (working 10-13 aircraft) and complex. Small transport was a pointout from ton sector in ZOB going direct etx abe at 15000'. Air carrier X was radar with my sector heading north at 15000'. Small transport was radar with sector 93. Sector 93 took handoff on air carrier X at 150 mi south of har with transfer of communication made at har. At the same time, my handoff man advised me to descend air carrier X to 14000' because of an impending situation with small transport. Sector 93 was not in communication with small transport. I told my handoff man to give control for lower altitude on air carrier X to sector 93. About a minute later sector 93 informed my handoff man they were not in communication with air carrier X, so I tried to contact him again with no success. So, I called small transport again to see if maybe he was on my frequency. He was, so I turned him to a 360 degree heading and descended him to 13000' to avoid an incident. But air carrier X, at the same time, checked on sector 93's frequency and they descended him. All events took place within a few seconds of each other.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS ISSUED A DESCENT RESULTING IN LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH AN SMT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING SECTOR 27 RADAR. TFC WAS MODERATE (WORKING 10-13 ACFT) AND COMPLEX. SMT WAS A POINTOUT FROM TON SECTOR IN ZOB GOING DIRECT ETX ABE AT 15000'. ACR X WAS RADAR WITH MY SECTOR HDG N AT 15000'. SMT WAS RADAR WITH SECTOR 93. SECTOR 93 TOOK HDOF ON ACR X AT 150 MI S OF HAR WITH TRANSFER OF COM MADE AT HAR. AT THE SAME TIME, MY HDOF MAN ADVISED ME TO DSND ACR X TO 14000' BECAUSE OF AN IMPENDING SITUATION WITH SMT. SECTOR 93 WAS NOT IN COM WITH SMT. I TOLD MY HDOF MAN TO GIVE CTL FOR LOWER ALT ON ACR X TO SECTOR 93. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER SECTOR 93 INFORMED MY HDOF MAN THEY WERE NOT IN COM WITH ACR X, SO I TRIED TO CONTACT HIM AGAIN WITH NO SUCCESS. SO, I CALLED SMT AGAIN TO SEE IF MAYBE HE WAS ON MY FREQ. HE WAS, SO I TURNED HIM TO A 360 DEG HDG AND DSNDED HIM TO 13000' TO AVOID AN INCIDENT. BUT ACR X, AT THE SAME TIME, CHKED ON SECTOR 93'S FREQ AND THEY DSNDED HIM. ALL EVENTS TOOK PLACE WITHIN A FEW SECS OF EACH OTHER.

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.