Air carrier was descended through an occupied altitude resulting in less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	136224
Time
Date	199002
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	136224
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 23400 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Due to low RVR values at aus and rno AFB, I had 6 aircraft holding in my airspace and an additional one just outside my sector. It is a small, low altitude sector with no established holding pointing. This resulted in aircraft being held at 4 different locations. This created real problems trying to sequence arrs into sat and departures out of aus with very little space left to maneuver in. While trying to descend air carrier X separation was lost between air carrier X and air carrier Y due to error in judgement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS DESCENDED THROUGH AN OCCUPIED ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: DUE TO LOW RVR VALUES AT AUS AND RNO AFB, I HAD 6 ACFT HOLDING IN MY AIRSPACE AND AN ADDITIONAL ONE JUST OUTSIDE MY SECTOR. IT IS A SMALL, LOW ALT SECTOR WITH NO ESTABLISHED HOLDING POINTING. THIS RESULTED IN ACFT BEING HELD AT 4 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THIS CREATED REAL PROBLEMS TRYING TO SEQUENCE ARRS INTO SAT AND DEPS OUT OF AUS WITH VERY LITTLE SPACE LEFT TO MANEUVER IN. WHILE TRYING TO DSND ACR X SEPARATION WAS LOST BETWEEN ACR X AND ACR Y DUE TO ERROR IN JUDGEMENT.

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.