Narrative:

High altitude sector busy with moderate traffic and holding. I was working radar handoff position (D side) when advised by ZNY to hold an aircraft for jfk. Aircraft was uncooperative or unattentive and had to be issued several instructions by radar controller as a result. The 'push' for iad started at this time and several aircraft of air carrier company were on frequency. While coming out of hold for jfk an air carrier aircraft was close to another air carrier aircraft climbing out en route to iad. Air carrier X was mistakenly issued a heading that was meant for same company aircraft to clear other aircraft. Air carrier X correctly read back the heading and turned. The mistake was not noticed by the radar controller. I was unaware of the mistake as I was busy coordinating pointouts to ZNY on several aircraft. The radar controller questioned same company air carrier as to why he had not turned. He then turned the 2 air carrier aircraft away from each other. Air carrier X volunteered the information that he was on a heading, but was not acknowledged by the radar controller. Again, I was engaged in coordination duties and did not hear this. It was then noticed that air carrier X and cpr Y were on converging courses. Immediate action was taken, but not in sufficient time to prevent a loss of separation. I believe situation was due to mistaken aircraft identity and could be prevented by more awareness. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter experience: 2 yrs radar, 5 yrs non radar. Radar controller experience: 1 month fpl. Aircraft types were air carrier-medium large transport and cpr-light transport. Incident happened over ign. Miss distance was 4.5 mi horizontal and 0 vertical. Conflict alert activated. FAA investigation ensued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: HIGH ALT SECTOR BUSY WITH MODERATE TFC AND HOLDING. I WAS WORKING RADAR HANDOFF POSITION (D SIDE) WHEN ADVISED BY ZNY TO HOLD AN ACFT FOR JFK. ACFT WAS UNCOOPERATIVE OR UNATTENTIVE AND HAD TO BE ISSUED SEVERAL INSTRUCTIONS BY RADAR CTLR AS A RESULT. THE 'PUSH' FOR IAD STARTED AT THIS TIME AND SEVERAL ACFT OF ACR COMPANY WERE ON FREQ. WHILE COMING OUT OF HOLD FOR JFK AN ACR ACFT WAS CLOSE TO ANOTHER ACR ACFT CLIMBING OUT ENRTE TO IAD. ACR X WAS MISTAKENLY ISSUED A HDG THAT WAS MEANT FOR SAME COMPANY ACFT TO CLEAR OTHER ACFT. ACR X CORRECTLY READ BACK THE HDG AND TURNED. THE MISTAKE WAS NOT NOTICED BY THE RADAR CTLR. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE MISTAKE AS I WAS BUSY COORDINATING POINTOUTS TO ZNY ON SEVERAL ACFT. THE RADAR CTLR QUESTIONED SAME COMPANY ACR AS TO WHY HE HAD NOT TURNED. HE THEN TURNED THE 2 ACR ACFT AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. ACR X VOLUNTEERED THE INFO THAT HE WAS ON A HDG, BUT WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE RADAR CTLR. AGAIN, I WAS ENGAGED IN COORD DUTIES AND DID NOT HEAR THIS. IT WAS THEN NOTICED THAT ACR X AND CPR Y WERE ON CONVERGING COURSES. IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS TAKEN, BUT NOT IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT A LOSS OF SEPARATION. I BELIEVE SITUATION WAS DUE TO MISTAKEN ACFT IDENTITY AND COULD BE PREVENTED BY MORE AWARENESS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER EXPERIENCE: 2 YRS RADAR, 5 YRS NON RADAR. RADAR CTLR EXPERIENCE: 1 MONTH FPL. ACFT TYPES WERE ACR-MLG AND CPR-LTT. INCIDENT HAPPENED OVER IGN. MISS DISTANCE WAS 4.5 MI HORIZ AND 0 VERT. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED. FAA INVESTIGATION ENSUED.

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.