Air carrier X had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. System error.

Attributes
ACN	121578
Time
Date	198909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop 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	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	121578
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4200 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X, small transport departing runway 01L sfo on runway heading. Air carrier Y widebody transport departing runway 01R sfo on a 030 degree heading. The small transport was given direct oak direct ccr vors and passed behind the widebody transport within 1 mi and 300' vertical sep. Sector workload was a contributing factor, as well as the coordinator for the sector being busy hand writing flight progress strips. The coordinator usually helps with the sector, providing an extra set of eyes to watch for traffic situations. He was unable to do this at that time. The C/a system did no alarm until the sep was lost. I noticed the error and issued traffic to the small transport, who had the widebody transport in sight. As far as I know, no evasive action was taken. Traffic was heavy at the time of the occurrence, with numerous departures, arrs and crossing traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR Y. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X, SMT DEPARTING RWY 01L SFO ON RWY HDG. ACR Y WDB DEPARTING RWY 01R SFO ON A 030 DEG HDG. THE SMT WAS GIVEN DIRECT OAK DIRECT CCR VORS AND PASSED BEHIND THE WDB WITHIN 1 MI AND 300' VERT SEP. SECTOR WORKLOAD WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AS WELL AS THE COORDINATOR FOR THE SECTOR BEING BUSY HAND WRITING FLT PROGRESS STRIPS. THE COORDINATOR USUALLY HELPS WITH THE SECTOR, PROVIDING AN EXTRA SET OF EYES TO WATCH FOR TFC SITUATIONS. HE WAS UNABLE TO DO THIS AT THAT TIME. THE C/A SYS DID NO ALARM UNTIL THE SEP WAS LOST. I NOTICED THE ERROR AND ISSUED TFC TO THE SMT, WHO HAD THE WDB IN SIGHT. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. TFC WAS HEAVY AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, WITH NUMEROUS DEPS, ARRS AND XING TFC.

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.