Narrative:

I was working the milton high (sector 75) sector at the time of occurrence. Cga X at FL330 northeast bound on J59. Air carrier Y eastbound at FL330 J584 on SLT6 arrival. I had a data block overlap south of the occurrence, involving cga X and when this was resolved I thought that these 2 aircraft were going to be involved in a loss of separation in the least. I took 'immediate' action with air carrier X by first descending him and then turning him, in the same transmission. The 2 aircraft never lost separation but as a result of my action, I am told, a passenger was injured. Supplemental information from acn 134474: during a scheduled flight from seattle, wa to newark, nj and flying on a direct course from carlton VOR (crl) to slate run VOR (slt) at night, at FL330 under ZNY control, the controller issued us instructions to 'descend immediately to FL310', shortly afterward reissued the same clearance only with a greater sense of urgency as well as additional and just as urgent instructions to 'make an immediate left turn to north', which would have been 90 degree to our left. I followed his instructions as quickly as I could. As soon as FL310 was reached the controller told us we could proceed direct to the williamsport (ipt) VOR. The controller told us, after I asked him what happened, that 'it was his mistake', 'that he had forgotten about us, or had lost us', and when he finally realized where we were he saw we were 8 NM from a cga small transport en route from raleigh, nc to ottawa, canada at FL330. He also said that, 'oh well, everything was okay and he had 8 NM separation'. I had to put the aircraft through some rapid/uncomfortable altitude changes in order to comply with his instructions as well as his sense of urgency. In doing so, one passenger fell down in the aisle (seat belt sign was off prior to his) but was uninjured, and didn't leave a name. Another lady needed medical attention upon our arrival in newark, but was released and went on her own, I assume home. Obviously, the controller I dealt with in flight was asleep at the switch. Am I to assume that this could have been a fatal accident had he not discovered his mistake in time? This sounds to me like a lack of discipline and/or experience on behalf of the ATC controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR ISSUED EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO ACR RESULTING IN SLIGHT INJURIES TO SEVERAL PASSENGERS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE MILTON HIGH (SECTOR 75) SECTOR AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. CGA X AT FL330 NE BOUND ON J59. ACR Y EBND AT FL330 J584 ON SLT6 ARR. I HAD A DATA BLOCK OVERLAP S OF THE OCCURRENCE, INVOLVING CGA X AND WHEN THIS WAS RESOLVED I THOUGHT THAT THESE 2 ACFT WERE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION IN THE LEAST. I TOOK 'IMMEDIATE' ACTION WITH ACR X BY FIRST DESCENDING HIM AND THEN TURNING HIM, IN THE SAME XMISSION. THE 2 ACFT NEVER LOST SEPARATION BUT AS A RESULT OF MY ACTION, I AM TOLD, A PAX WAS INJURED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 134474: DURING A SCHEDULED FLT FROM SEATTLE, WA TO NEWARK, NJ AND FLYING ON A DIRECT COURSE FROM CARLTON VOR (CRL) TO SLATE RUN VOR (SLT) AT NIGHT, AT FL330 UNDER ZNY CTL, THE CTLR ISSUED US INSTRUCTIONS TO 'DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL310', SHORTLY AFTERWARD REISSUED THE SAME CLRNC ONLY WITH A GREATER SENSE OF URGENCY AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL AND JUST AS URGENT INSTRUCTIONS TO 'MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO NORTH', WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN 90 DEG TO OUR LEFT. I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. AS SOON AS FL310 WAS REACHED THE CTLR TOLD US WE COULD PROCEED DIRECT TO THE WILLIAMSPORT (IPT) VOR. THE CTLR TOLD US, AFTER I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED, THAT 'IT WAS HIS MISTAKE', 'THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT US, OR HAD LOST US', AND WHEN HE FINALLY REALIZED WHERE WE WERE HE SAW WE WERE 8 NM FROM A CGA SMT ENRTE FROM RALEIGH, NC TO OTTAWA, CANADA AT FL330. HE ALSO SAID THAT, 'OH WELL, EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND HE HAD 8 NM SEPARATION'. I HAD TO PUT THE ACFT THROUGH SOME RAPID/UNCOMFORTABLE ALT CHANGES IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS HIS SENSE OF URGENCY. IN DOING SO, ONE PAX FELL DOWN IN THE AISLE (SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF PRIOR TO HIS) BUT WAS UNINJURED, AND DIDN'T LEAVE A NAME. ANOTHER LADY NEEDED MEDICAL ATTN UPON OUR ARR IN NEWARK, BUT WAS RELEASED AND WENT ON HER OWN, I ASSUME HOME. OBVIOUSLY, THE CTLR I DEALT WITH IN FLT WAS ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH. AM I TO ASSUME THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT HAD HE NOT DISCOVERED HIS MISTAKE IN TIME? THIS SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND/OR EXPERIENCE ON BEHALF OF THE ATC CTLR.

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.