Narrative:

I was working west arrival radar at the rdu airport. As prescribed by the south boston STAR, aircraft were entering my airspace on an airway to the aldan intersection, to then expect radar vectors to the rdu airport. Also, jets are to be at 10000' and non-jets are to be at 8000'. I observed air carrier X outside of my airspace being vectored away from my airspace in an attempt by the center controller to get to air carrier X on the sbv STAR. I attempted to contact the south boston sector, who was working the aircraft, to approve air carrier X direct rdu. This would have eased the workload of the center controller and saved about 20 mi flying time for air carrier X. South boston sector did not answer their landline. I tried again a few mins later...still no response. Air carrier Y, medium large transport, checked in leaving 10300' for 8000'. He should have been at 10000' per letter of agreement with washington center, south boston sector. I did not catch the incorrect altitude assignment that air carrier Y gave me on his initial call-up. I advised air carrier Y which runway to expect. Air carrier X then checked in at 8000'. I advised him which runway to expect. I then made several transmissions to other aircraft. Next, the TRACON supervisor yelled at me from the other side of the radar room with a request from central flow control. I turned around and told the supervisor that I could approve the request. When I turned back to my radar scope I noticed that air carrier Y and air carrier X were just inside of my airspace with less than minimum sep. I instructed air carrier X to turn left immediately heading 140 degree and air carrier Y to turn right immediately heading 230 degree. I then told air carrier Y that he had been assigned 10000'. Air carrier X was issued traffic and he reported the medium large transport in sight. Air carrier Y then came back and said that the previous controller had assigned him 8000'. The mix-up started in washington center since the jet should have been assigned 10000', but I am partially at fault for not catching the incorrect altitude descending to on air carrier Y's initial call-up. The situation occurred because two controllers, the center controller and myself, did not listen closely to the pilot readback. (After playing back the tapes, it was confirmed that the air carrier Y was in fact assigned 10000' but read back 8000'). To prevent this from recurring, you can be damn sure that I will listen more closely to readbacks and not let outside distrs take my attention away from the radar scope. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter experience: 4 yrs radar, 3 yrs non-radar. Miss distance: 500' vertical. 1 mi horizontal. Operational error was processed. C/a did not activate. The reporter stated she was not busy at the time of the incident and was socializing. She was not looking at the radar scope. The reporter was required to do a study on readback, hearback errors. She will submit an ASRS report with her results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR Y. SYSTEM ERROR. FLT CREW FAILED TO COMPLY WITH ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING W ARR RADAR AT THE RDU ARPT. AS PRESCRIBED BY THE S BOSTON STAR, ACFT WERE ENTERING MY AIRSPACE ON AN AIRWAY TO THE ALDAN INTXN, TO THEN EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO THE RDU ARPT. ALSO, JETS ARE TO BE AT 10000' AND NON-JETS ARE TO BE AT 8000'. I OBSERVED ACR X OUTSIDE OF MY AIRSPACE BEING VECTORED AWAY FROM MY AIRSPACE IN AN ATTEMPT BY THE CENTER CTLR TO GET TO ACR X ON THE SBV STAR. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE S BOSTON SECTOR, WHO WAS WORKING THE ACFT, TO APPROVE ACR X DIRECT RDU. THIS WOULD HAVE EASED THE WORKLOAD OF THE CENTER CTLR AND SAVED ABOUT 20 MI FLYING TIME FOR ACR X. S BOSTON SECTOR DID NOT ANSWER THEIR LANDLINE. I TRIED AGAIN A FEW MINS LATER...STILL NO RESPONSE. ACR Y, MLG, CHKED IN LEAVING 10300' FOR 8000'. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 10000' PER LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH WASHINGTON CENTER, S BOSTON SECTOR. I DID NOT CATCH THE INCORRECT ALT ASSIGNMENT THAT ACR Y GAVE ME ON HIS INITIAL CALL-UP. I ADVISED ACR Y WHICH RWY TO EXPECT. ACR X THEN CHKED IN AT 8000'. I ADVISED HIM WHICH RWY TO EXPECT. I THEN MADE SEVERAL TRANSMISSIONS TO OTHER ACFT. NEXT, THE TRACON SUPVR YELLED AT ME FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RADAR ROOM WITH A REQUEST FROM CENTRAL FLOW CTL. I TURNED AROUND AND TOLD THE SUPVR THAT I COULD APPROVE THE REQUEST. WHEN I TURNED BACK TO MY RADAR SCOPE I NOTICED THAT ACR Y AND ACR X WERE JUST INSIDE OF MY AIRSPACE WITH LESS THAN MINIMUM SEP. I INSTRUCTED ACR X TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY HDG 140 DEG AND ACR Y TO TURN R IMMEDIATELY HDG 230 DEG. I THEN TOLD ACR Y THAT HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 10000'. ACR X WAS ISSUED TFC AND HE RPTED THE MLG IN SIGHT. ACR Y THEN CAME BACK AND SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD ASSIGNED HIM 8000'. THE MIX-UP STARTED IN WASHINGTON CENTER SINCE THE JET SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED 10000', BUT I AM PARTIALLY AT FAULT FOR NOT CATCHING THE INCORRECT ALT DSNDING TO ON ACR Y'S INITIAL CALL-UP. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE TWO CTLRS, THE CENTER CTLR AND MYSELF, DID NOT LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE PLT READBACK. (AFTER PLAYING BACK THE TAPES, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ACR Y WAS IN FACT ASSIGNED 10000' BUT READ BACK 8000'). TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING, YOU CAN BE DAMN SURE THAT I WILL LISTEN MORE CLOSELY TO READBACKS AND NOT LET OUTSIDE DISTRS TAKE MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE RADAR SCOPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPERIENCE: 4 YRS RADAR, 3 YRS NON-RADAR. MISS DISTANCE: 500' VERT. 1 MI HORIZ. OPERATIONAL ERROR WAS PROCESSED. C/A DID NOT ACTIVATE. THE RPTR STATED SHE WAS NOT BUSY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS SOCIALIZING. SHE WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE RADAR SCOPE. THE RPTR WAS REQUIRED TO DO A STUDY ON READBACK, HEARBACK ERRORS. SHE WILL SUBMIT AN ASRS RPT WITH HER RESULTS.

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.