Narrative:

Both aircraft departed tnx on the same route climbing to same altitude. Route of flight took them under refueling operation FL180 B200, worked by another facility. As the air carrier X was overtaking mlt Y rapidly, I failed to notice it in time to effect vertical separation. I descended air carrier X to 160 and tried to climb mlt Y to FL180. Contributing, etc: a) 90 percent of military aircraft on that procedure are high performance. I thought mlt Y was a (type aircraft). B) I was working alone, normal for that sector. It was very complex with numerous pointouts/coordination calls to be made. C) at the time of, and just previous to the occurrence, I was trying to issue traffic/safety alert to a military in conflict with a VFR. The radio xmissions were of such poor quality that I didn't know whether or not the military had the traffic and had to turn him out. D) coordination, traffic, refueling, and heavy complexity involved, took my time, frequency and attention away from the developing situation. East) better staffing and equipment and procedures may have averted the occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO ACFT CLIMBING OUT ON THE SAME ROUTE AND ALT WITH THE SECOND ACFT OVERTAKING THE FIRST. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION RESULTED.

Narrative: BOTH ACFT DEPARTED TNX ON THE SAME ROUTE CLIMBING TO SAME ALT. ROUTE OF FLT TOOK THEM UNDER REFUELING OPERATION FL180 B200, WORKED BY ANOTHER FAC. AS THE ACR X WAS OVERTAKING MLT Y RAPIDLY, I FAILED TO NOTICE IT IN TIME TO EFFECT VERTICAL SEPARATION. I DESCENDED ACR X TO 160 AND TRIED TO CLIMB MLT Y TO FL180. CONTRIBUTING, ETC: A) 90 PERCENT OF MIL ACFT ON THAT PROC ARE HIGH PERFORMANCE. I THOUGHT MLT Y WAS A (TYPE ACFT). B) I WAS WORKING ALONE, NORMAL FOR THAT SECTOR. IT WAS VERY COMPLEX WITH NUMEROUS POINTOUTS/COORD CALLS TO BE MADE. C) AT THE TIME OF, AND JUST PREVIOUS TO THE OCCURRENCE, I WAS TRYING TO ISSUE TFC/SAFETY ALERT TO A MIL IN CONFLICT WITH A VFR. THE RADIO XMISSIONS WERE OF SUCH POOR QUALITY THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE MIL HAD THE TFC AND HAD TO TURN HIM OUT. D) COORD, TFC, REFUELING, AND HEAVY COMPLEXITY INVOLVED, TOOK MY TIME, FREQUENCY AND ATTN AWAY FROM THE DEVELOPING SITUATION. E) BETTER STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT AND PROCS MAY HAVE AVERTED THE OCCURRENCE.

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.