Aircraft Y had less than standard separation from aircraft X. System error.

Attributes
ACN	133693
Time
Date	199001
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse tracon : sea
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18
ASRS Report	133693
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3060 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft X departed bfi, joined V2 (sea 085R), climbed to 9000'. Aircraft Y departed sea on rv eastbound. Approximately 18 aircraft on departure frequency during 15 min overlap of occurrence. Almost all requiring crossover vectors or some type of coordination. Aircraft Y was threaded through traffic and turned to 070 heading and climbed to 13,000'. The heading looked like it would place aircraft Y behind aircraft X. Aircraft Y was sent to ZSE. Both aircraft were now on ZSE sector 1 frequency. Both aircraft were 5 mi inside 546 airspace. Aircraft Y passed behind aircraft X 200' below and 0.51 mi behind on a 20 degree diverging course. ZSE filed a system error against 546 for failure to ensure separation before radio transfer. The departure radar controller was working alone. The associated handoff position was not staffed. Training was in progress in another room so additional personnel were available. Apparently in this case training took preference over live traffic!

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACFT X DEPARTED BFI, JOINED V2 (SEA 085R), CLIMBED TO 9000'. ACFT Y DEPARTED SEA ON RV EBND. APPROX 18 ACFT ON DEP FREQ DURING 15 MIN OVERLAP OF OCCURRENCE. ALMOST ALL REQUIRING CROSSOVER VECTORS OR SOME TYPE OF COORD. ACFT Y WAS THREADED THROUGH TFC AND TURNED TO 070 HDG AND CLIMBED TO 13,000'. THE HDG LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD PLACE ACFT Y BEHIND ACFT X. ACFT Y WAS SENT TO ZSE. BOTH ACFT WERE NOW ON ZSE SECTOR 1 FREQ. BOTH ACFT WERE 5 MI INSIDE 546 AIRSPACE. ACFT Y PASSED BEHIND ACFT X 200' BELOW AND 0.51 MI BEHIND ON A 20 DEG DIVERGING COURSE. ZSE FILED A SYSTEM ERROR AGAINST 546 FOR FAILURE TO ENSURE SEPARATION BEFORE RADIO TRANSFER. THE DEP RADAR CTLR WAS WORKING ALONE. THE ASSOCIATED HANDOFF POSITION WAS NOT STAFFED. TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS IN ANOTHER ROOM SO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE. APPARENTLY IN THIS CASE TRAINING TOOK PREFERENCE OVER LIVE TFC!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.