Less than standard separation between corp jet and commuter. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	133839
Time
Date	199001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lhs airport : bur
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9600 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bur
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : bur
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	133839
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was working a departure sector combined with another sector during a very busy traffic period on friday night. I had corp X and commuter Y as 2 of 8 aircraft on frequency. Corp X was routed over pmd and aircraft Y routed over lhs. My attention was diverted to another area south of bur. When I looked back to check the progress of X he was 9200' climbing converging with aircraft Y, level at 10000'. I issued safety alerts to both aircraft and turned them away from each other. Another radar position was combined with my position, and both radar assistant positions were closed. The traffic complexity was to the point where I could not make inter or intrafac coordination due to the immediate attention demanded by the aircraft on frequency. All of the above are definite factors contributing to the operational error. Also staffing shortage--not only on fri night, but also facility-wide in general--is a very real problem. These operrors will exist as long as these conditions remain the same.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN CORP JET AND COMMUTER. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A DEP SECTOR COMBINED WITH ANOTHER SECTOR DURING A VERY BUSY TFC PERIOD ON FRIDAY NIGHT. I HAD CORP X AND COMMUTER Y AS 2 OF 8 ACFT ON FREQ. CORP X WAS ROUTED OVER PMD AND ACFT Y ROUTED OVER LHS. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AREA S OF BUR. WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO CHK THE PROGRESS OF X HE WAS 9200' CLBING CONVERGING WITH ACFT Y, LEVEL AT 10000'. I ISSUED SAFETY ALERTS TO BOTH ACFT AND TURNED THEM AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. ANOTHER RADAR POS WAS COMBINED WITH MY POS, AND BOTH RADAR ASSISTANT POSITIONS WERE CLOSED. THE TFC COMPLEXITY WAS TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT MAKE INTER OR INTRAFAC COORD DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTN DEMANDED BY THE ACFT ON FREQ. ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE DEFINITE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE OPERROR. ALSO STAFFING SHORTAGE--NOT ONLY ON FRI NIGHT, BUT ALSO FAC-WIDE IN GENERAL--IS A VERY REAL PROB. THESE OPERRORS WILL EXIST AS LONG AS THESE CONDITIONS REMAIN THE SAME.

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.