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

Attributes
ACN	136757
Time
Date	199002
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ood
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	136757
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 16800 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft X, an small transport, filed cyn J209 sby at 180. Air carrier Y, a phl departure, filed over ood ood 198026 sie B24 and east over atlantic requesting FL330. Sector 51, a low altitude sector, climbed air carrier Y to 17000 and handed the aircraft to me at sector 58. I had not yet sequenced the ticket on air carrier Y and was under the erroneous impression the air carrier Y was overflying sby and proceeding southbound. I cleared aircraft X to proceed direct sby. This would position the aircraft slightly east of his filed route and allow me to climb air carrier Y on the west side. I put a 5 mi polygon (halo) around aircraft X and cleared air carrier Y to climb and maintain FL200. When air carrier Y reached the ood 198026 mi fix, the aircraft turned east towards sie at which point the conflict alert went off. The data block showed air carrier Y to be out of 17700 climbing so I asked him to expedite the climb thru FL190 which he did. In my opinion, the primary causal factor in this incident was the fact that I was unaware of the route of the aircraft. Approximately 95% of the phl departure traffic thru this sector is routed southbound over sby and I mistakenly thought air carrier Y was also over sby. Better preview of strips would have prevented this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACFT X, AN SMT, FILED CYN J209 SBY AT 180. ACR Y, A PHL DEP, FILED OVER OOD OOD 198026 SIE B24 AND EAST OVER ATLANTIC REQUESTING FL330. SECTOR 51, A LOW ALT SECTOR, CLIMBED ACR Y TO 17000 AND HANDED THE ACFT TO ME AT SECTOR 58. I HAD NOT YET SEQUENCED THE TICKET ON ACR Y AND WAS UNDER THE ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION THE ACR Y WAS OVERFLYING SBY AND PROCEEDING SBND. I CLRED ACFT X TO PROCEED DIRECT SBY. THIS WOULD POSITION THE ACFT SLIGHTLY E OF HIS FILED ROUTE AND ALLOW ME TO CLIMB ACR Y ON THE W SIDE. I PUT A 5 MI POLYGON (HALO) AROUND ACFT X AND CLRED ACR Y TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN FL200. WHEN ACR Y REACHED THE OOD 198026 MI FIX, THE ACFT TURNED E TOWARDS SIE AT WHICH POINT THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. THE DATA BLOCK SHOWED ACR Y TO BE OUT OF 17700 CLIMBING SO I ASKED HIM TO EXPEDITE THE CLIMB THRU FL190 WHICH HE DID. IN MY OPINION, THE PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE ROUTE OF THE ACFT. APPROX 95% OF THE PHL DEP TFC THRU THIS SECTOR IS ROUTED SBND OVER SBY AND I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT ACR Y WAS ALSO OVER SBY. BETTER PREVIEW OF STRIPS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT.

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.