Less than standard separation between 2 departing air carrier aircraft within the TCA.

Attributes
ACN	110037
Time
Date	198904
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bos artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	110037
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Departed runway 33L at bos. We were level at 6000' being vectored by departure control. Our departure vector took us toward the departure path of runway 27. We had visually idented an large transport climbing on departure from runway 27 and assumed he would be held at 5000' (normal hold down at bos). The large transport was cleared by departure to climb and given a heading toward our flight path. We turned to avoid aircraft Y, but horizontal sep decreased to approximately 1 mi as the large transport climbed through our altitude. The controller issued us a turn a few seconds later to approximately the heading we used to avoid aircraft Y. The controller was operating under high workload and the departure frequency was in constant use. We believe that departure vectors back across the departure path of runway 27 should be avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 DEPARTING ACR ACFT WITHIN THE TCA.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 33L AT BOS. WE WERE LEVEL AT 6000' BEING VECTORED BY DEP CTL. OUR DEP VECTOR TOOK US TOWARD THE DEP PATH OF RWY 27. WE HAD VISUALLY IDENTED AN LGT CLBING ON DEP FROM RWY 27 AND ASSUMED HE WOULD BE HELD AT 5000' (NORMAL HOLD DOWN AT BOS). THE LGT WAS CLRED BY DEP TO CLB AND GIVEN A HDG TOWARD OUR FLT PATH. WE TURNED TO AVOID ACFT Y, BUT HORIZ SEP DECREASED TO APPROX 1 MI AS THE LGT CLBED THROUGH OUR ALT. THE CTLR ISSUED US A TURN A FEW SECS LATER TO APPROX THE HDG WE USED TO AVOID ACFT Y. THE CTLR WAS OPERATING UNDER HIGH WORKLOAD AND THE DEP FREQ WAS IN CONSTANT USE. WE BELIEVE THAT DEP VECTORS BACK ACROSS THE DEP PATH OF RWY 27 SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

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.