Air carrier Y was cleared to an altitude occupied by another aircraft over the ocean.

Attributes
ACN	113562
Time
Date	198906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sya
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	113562
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	113785
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Air carrier X was shown on the flight progress strips of sector 10 at FL370. Air carrier Y who was 3 mins in trail was climbed to FL350. At this time air carrier X checked on frequency at FL350 not FL370. The controller took immediate action to climb air carrier X to FL370. In my estimation the reason for this error was verbal coordination between sectors and somehow air carrier X was never climbed to FL370 before entering the airspace of sector 10. It is a standard operation procedure that all coordination, of a verbal type, will be done on a recorded line. In this instance it was not. It was done by word of mouth since the 2 sectors are physically located next to each other. This would indicate to me lack of proper supervision of the north pacific oceanic sectors in this facility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y WAS CLEARED TO AN ALT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT OVER THE OCEAN.

Narrative: ACR X WAS SHOWN ON THE FLT PROGRESS STRIPS OF SECTOR 10 AT FL370. ACR Y WHO WAS 3 MINS IN TRAIL WAS CLIMBED TO FL350. AT THIS TIME ACR X CHECKED ON FREQ AT FL350 NOT FL370. THE CTLR TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO CLIMB ACR X TO FL370. IN MY ESTIMATION THE REASON FOR THIS ERROR WAS VERBAL COORD BETWEEN SECTORS AND SOMEHOW ACR X WAS NEVER CLIMBED TO FL370 BEFORE ENTERING THE AIRSPACE OF SECTOR 10. IT IS A STANDARD OPERATION PROC THAT ALL COORD, OF A VERBAL TYPE, WILL BE DONE ON A RECORDED LINE. IN THIS INSTANCE IT WAS NOT. IT WAS DONE BY WORD OF MOUTH SINCE THE 2 SECTORS ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THIS WOULD INDICATE TO ME LACK OF PROPER SUPERVISION OF THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEANIC SECTORS IN THIS FACILITY.

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.