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

Attributes
ACN	136064
Time
Date	199002
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mgm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mgm
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	136064
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : developmental
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Sectors were split in a north/south operation. South controller was a trainee being monitored by veteran fpl. South control was providing departure control functions as well as sequencing to final with the sector saturated. North control was providing en route control of aircraft as well as arrival control to military airfield. Workload on the north sector was mod. The controller in the north sector made automated handoff with aircraft X to the south sector. The fpl monitoring the trainee took the position due to the trainee being too saturated to give adequate service. The trainee took the handoff without the fpl being aware of it. Aircraft X was at 10000' overflying swbound. South control climbed aircraft Y to 10000 on course. Communications transfer had not taken place until the 10000 overflt was in south airspace. At this time the north controller became aware of the departure at same altitude, less than 3 mi from the overflt. North control issued traffic alert and turned aircraft X wbound away from the departure. Simultaneously south control issued an immediate descent to aircraft Y. Aircraft were less than 1000' vertically and about 2 mi laterally. Solution: monitor both sectors very close. Awareness must be heightened when trainee is working. Effect communications transfer as soon as possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: SECTORS WERE SPLIT IN A N/S OPERATION. S CTLR WAS A TRAINEE BEING MONITORED BY VETERAN FPL. S CTL WAS PROVIDING DEP CTL FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS SEQUENCING TO FINAL WITH THE SECTOR SATURATED. N CTL WAS PROVIDING ENRTE CTL OF ACFT AS WELL AS ARR CTL TO MIL AIRFIELD. WORKLOAD ON THE N SECTOR WAS MOD. THE CTLR IN THE N SECTOR MADE AUTOMATED HANDOFF WITH ACFT X TO THE S SECTOR. THE FPL MONITORING THE TRAINEE TOOK THE POSITION DUE TO THE TRAINEE BEING TOO SATURATED TO GIVE ADEQUATE SERVICE. THE TRAINEE TOOK THE HANDOFF WITHOUT THE FPL BEING AWARE OF IT. ACFT X WAS AT 10000' OVERFLYING SWBOUND. S CTL CLIMBED ACFT Y TO 10000 ON COURSE. COMS TRANSFER HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE UNTIL THE 10000 OVERFLT WAS IN S AIRSPACE. AT THIS TIME THE N CTLR BECAME AWARE OF THE DEP AT SAME ALT, LESS THAN 3 MI FROM THE OVERFLT. N CTL ISSUED TFC ALERT AND TURNED ACFT X WBOUND AWAY FROM THE DEP. SIMULTANEOUSLY S CTL ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO ACFT Y. ACFT WERE LESS THAN 1000' VERTICALLY AND ABOUT 2 MI LATERALLY. SOLUTION: MONITOR BOTH SECTORS VERY CLOSE. AWARENESS MUST BE HEIGHTENED WHEN TRAINEE IS WORKING. EFFECT COMS TRANSFER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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.