Small transport was descended to an altitude occupied by another aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	110979
Time
Date	198905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hfd
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : v3
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	110979
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	110980
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was training at bdl approach control. 2 aircraft were en route to the hfd VOR. One was eastbound on V3 at 9000'. The other was swbnd on V229. The swbnd aircraft, small transport, was descended to 8000' and was subsequently stopped at 9000' due to other traffic. When it was realized that there was going to be a conflict and a radio transmission was being initiated to turn the 2 aircraft. Another aircraft monopolized the frequency for 15 seconds requesting an IFR clearance. By the time he was done, the 2 conflicting aircraft were 3 mi apart, and by the time they were issued their turns and actually turned, they wound up 1 mi apart. I would recommend that VFR aircraft looking for a clearance or whatever from a busy approach controller not tie up the frequency for an excessive amount of time. This aircraft didn't even make an initial transmission to get our attention. He just went into his dissertation on wanting a clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT WAS DESCENDED TO AN ALT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS TRNING AT BDL APCH CTL. 2 ACFT WERE ENRTE TO THE HFD VOR. ONE WAS EBND ON V3 AT 9000'. THE OTHER WAS SWBND ON V229. THE SWBND ACFT, SMT, WAS DSNDED TO 8000' AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY STOPPED AT 9000' DUE TO OTHER TFC. WHEN IT WAS REALIZED THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A CONFLICT AND A RADIO XMISSION WAS BEING INITIATED TO TURN THE 2 ACFT. ANOTHER ACFT MONOPOLIZED THE FREQ FOR 15 SECS REQUESTING AN IFR CLRNC. BY THE TIME HE WAS DONE, THE 2 CONFLICTING ACFT WERE 3 MI APART, AND BY THE TIME THEY WERE ISSUED THEIR TURNS AND ACTUALLY TURNED, THEY WOUND UP 1 MI APART. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT VFR ACFT LOOKING FOR A CLRNC OR WHATEVER FROM A BUSY APCH CTLR NOT TIE UP THE FREQ FOR AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME. THIS ACFT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE AN INITIAL XMISSION TO GET OUR ATTN. HE JUST WENT INTO HIS DISSERTATION ON WANTING A CLRNC.

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.