Air carrier on vectors around another aircraft conflicted with opposite direction traffic.

Attributes
ACN	115522
Time
Date	198906
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lvt
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 32600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid tower : prc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
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
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	115522
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 7500 vertical : 1600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X climbing to FL330 southbound, head-on traffic air carrier Y level FL310 northbound, and air carrier Z FL370 descending to FL280 parallel with air carrier Y. D-side training in progress. I was coordinating on the handoff line about another aircraft, my d-side answered atl center line. Atl center coordinated air carrier Z descending to FL280 and turning right and air carrier Y at FL310 being turned out to the left so they could get air carrier Z down. D-side approved this action. At no time was this information passed to me, the radar controller. D-side also answered air carrier Y on his initial call on frequency when I was off-line. I also was never told of this. I asked air carrier X to increase his rate of climb and issued traffic. He replied his best climb was 500 FPM. I then turned air carrier X right 20 degree. At that time I had the handoff on air carrier X but data block read FL370 descending to FL350. I thought that was no problem. D-side said at that time, 'hey, he's descending to FL280, no problem.' I put FL280 in data block. I told air carrier Y to turn east 15 degree, so as not to turn him into air carrier X. I didn't feel I could descend air carrier Y now because I would also be descending him into air carrier xy. I called air carrier X several times, when he answered leaving FL294 for FL280. I descended him to FL240, then turned air carrier Y 25 degree more east, expedite turn. Air carrier Y seemed to be tracking to the left in flat track mode. It didn't even look like he took my turns to the right. In reality, since atl had turned him west, my turns just put him back on course. The turns were not sufficient for separation. If I had been told air carrier Y was being turned left by atl center, I would have turned air carrier X to the left or just given him present heading and maintained separation. If I had been told air carrier Z was being descended to FL280 and turned right, I could have stopped him at FL330 and cranked air carrier Y east and/or descended him. At no time, until the end, was any information of coordination passed to me, and then only one piece was passed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON VECTORS AROUND ANOTHER ACFT CONFLICTED WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC.

Narrative: ACR X CLIMBING TO FL330 SBND, HEAD-ON TFC ACR Y LEVEL FL310 NBND, AND ACR Z FL370 DSNDING TO FL280 PARALLEL WITH ACR Y. D-SIDE TRAINING IN PROGRESS. I WAS COORDINATING ON THE HANDOFF LINE ABOUT ANOTHER ACFT, MY D-SIDE ANSWERED ATL CENTER LINE. ATL CENTER COORDINATED ACR Z DSNDING TO FL280 AND TURNING RIGHT AND ACR Y AT FL310 BEING TURNED OUT TO THE LEFT SO THEY COULD GET ACR Z DOWN. D-SIDE APPROVED THIS ACTION. AT NO TIME WAS THIS INFO PASSED TO ME, THE RADAR CTLR. D-SIDE ALSO ANSWERED ACR Y ON HIS INITIAL CALL ON FREQ WHEN I WAS OFF-LINE. I ALSO WAS NEVER TOLD OF THIS. I ASKED ACR X TO INCREASE HIS RATE OF CLIMB AND ISSUED TFC. HE REPLIED HIS BEST CLIMB WAS 500 FPM. I THEN TURNED ACR X RIGHT 20 DEG. AT THAT TIME I HAD THE HANDOFF ON ACR X BUT DATA BLOCK READ FL370 DSNDING TO FL350. I THOUGHT THAT WAS NO PROBLEM. D-SIDE SAID AT THAT TIME, 'HEY, HE'S DSNDING TO FL280, NO PROBLEM.' I PUT FL280 IN DATA BLOCK. I TOLD ACR Y TO TURN E 15 DEG, SO AS NOT TO TURN HIM INTO ACR X. I DIDN'T FEEL I COULD DSND ACR Y NOW BECAUSE I WOULD ALSO BE DSNDING HIM INTO ACR XY. I CALLED ACR X SEVERAL TIMES, WHEN HE ANSWERED LEAVING FL294 FOR FL280. I DESCENDED HIM TO FL240, THEN TURNED ACR Y 25 DEG MORE E, EXPEDITE TURN. ACR Y SEEMED TO BE TRACKING TO THE LEFT IN FLAT TRACK MODE. IT DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE HE TOOK MY TURNS TO THE RIGHT. IN REALITY, SINCE ATL HAD TURNED HIM W, MY TURNS JUST PUT HIM BACK ON COURSE. THE TURNS WERE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR SEPARATION. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD ACR Y WAS BEING TURNED LEFT BY ATL CENTER, I WOULD HAVE TURNED ACR X TO THE LEFT OR JUST GIVEN HIM PRESENT HDG AND MAINTAINED SEPARATION. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD ACR Z WAS BEING DESCENDED TO FL280 AND TURNED RIGHT, I COULD HAVE STOPPED HIM AT FL330 AND CRANKED ACR Y E AND/OR DESCENDED HIM. AT NO TIME, UNTIL THE END, WAS ANY INFO OF COORD PASSED TO ME, AND THEN ONLY ONE PIECE WAS PASSED.

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.