Narrative:

Air carrier X mci-rod V435 wakem cle FL330 to cross 30 N3 rod at 240. Air carrier Y cyyz-djb rod J29 pxv-mmsd at FL310. Air carrier X was issued a crossing 30 northeast rod at 240. Air carrier Y was bearing approximately 245 degree. At the time the air carrier X flight was cleared to FL240 it appeared that it was not in conflict with air carrier X, however, air carrier Y had to correct to an approximately 265 degree bearing to go over rod. This move caused a near head-on situation with one aircraft cleared to an altitude below that of another. At the same time the sector in question (day hi) was in the process of combining with another (ape hi). The situation was noticed by the controller when the aircraft were 12 mi apart and air carrier X mode C indicated 330. The controller immediately told air carrier X to maintain FL330. Air carrier X answered he would climb back to 330. The lowest he got was FL324. Air carrier X could not get back to FL330 until after separation was lost. ZID ARTCC processed it as an operational error. Supplemental information from acn 133855: ZID gave us clearance to cross 30 northeast of rod at FL240, pilots discretion out of FL330. The 2 aircraft were not close enough to pose danger. The panic was probably to save the bell going off on the snitch machine. I don't know if a deviation was recorded. The controller was very apologetic, then switched us to cle center. Human factor wise: this event was very distracting to me for the rest of the flight. My thoughts seemed to dwell on the FAA and their policy of trying to treat every error as a malicious act by a pilot. Even though I knew I was not wrong, I still kept thinking about how the FAA can turn the tables on me. Cle center didn't help because they followed up with some crossing restrictions requiring an excessive amount of descent to compensate for the delayed descent from FL330.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACR X MCI-ROD V435 WAKEM CLE FL330 TO CROSS 30 N3 ROD AT 240. ACR Y CYYZ-DJB ROD J29 PXV-MMSD AT FL310. ACR X WAS ISSUED A XING 30 NE ROD AT 240. ACR Y WAS BEARING APPROX 245 DEG. AT THE TIME THE ACR X FLT WAS CLRED TO FL240 IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH ACR X, HOWEVER, ACR Y HAD TO CORRECT TO AN APPROX 265 DEG BEARING TO GO OVER ROD. THIS MOVE CAUSED A NEAR HEAD-ON SITUATION WITH ONE ACFT CLRED TO AN ALT BELOW THAT OF ANOTHER. AT THE SAME TIME THE SECTOR IN QUESTION (DAY HI) WAS IN THE PROCESS OF COMBINING WITH ANOTHER (APE HI). THE SITUATION WAS NOTICED BY THE CTLR WHEN THE ACFT WERE 12 MI APART AND ACR X MODE C INDICATED 330. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY TOLD ACR X TO MAINTAIN FL330. ACR X ANSWERED HE WOULD CLIMB BACK TO 330. THE LOWEST HE GOT WAS FL324. ACR X COULD NOT GET BACK TO FL330 UNTIL AFTER SEPARATION WAS LOST. ZID ARTCC PROCESSED IT AS AN OPERATIONAL ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 133855: ZID GAVE US CLRNC TO CROSS 30 NE OF ROD AT FL240, PLTS DISCRETION OUT OF FL330. THE 2 ACFT WERE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO POSE DANGER. THE PANIC WAS PROBABLY TO SAVE THE BELL GOING OFF ON THE SNITCH MACHINE. I DON'T KNOW IF A DEVIATION WAS RECORDED. THE CTLR WAS VERY APOLOGETIC, THEN SWITCHED US TO CLE CENTER. HUMAN FACTOR WISE: THIS EVENT WAS VERY DISTRACTING TO ME FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. MY THOUGHTS SEEMED TO DWELL ON THE FAA AND THEIR POLICY OF TRYING TO TREAT EVERY ERROR AS A MALICIOUS ACT BY A PLT. EVEN THOUGH I KNEW I WAS NOT WRONG, I STILL KEPT THINKING ABOUT HOW THE FAA CAN TURN THE TABLES ON ME. CLE CENTER DIDN'T HELP BECAUSE THEY FOLLOWED UP WITH SOME XING RESTRICTIONS REQUIRING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DSCNT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DELAYED DSCNT FROM FL330.

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.