Narrative:

2 aircraft involved. Air carrier X was landing in atl and was descending to FL240 swbnd on the macey 1 arrival over the foothills VOR (odf). Cpr Y was over the harris VOR (hours) descending to FL240 direct and landing athens, GA (ahn). The route of flight of these aircraft placed them in conflict,but cpr Y had to be below air carrier X to land at ahn. The controller that was talking to both aircraft descended the aircraft to FL230 and turned them head-on to one another. The C/a activated and the controller then expedited cpr Y to FL210. The aircraft passed with 3.5 mi latitude and 600' vertical. Me observation is that the controller involved was overworked, had insufficient help, had too many aircraft and the frequency was congested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: 2 ACFT INVOLVED. ACR X WAS LNDG IN ATL AND WAS DSNDING TO FL240 SWBND ON THE MACEY 1 ARR OVER THE FOOTHILLS VOR (ODF). CPR Y WAS OVER THE HARRIS VOR (HRS) DSNDING TO FL240 DIRECT AND LNDG ATHENS, GA (AHN). THE RTE OF FLT OF THESE ACFT PLACED THEM IN CONFLICT,BUT CPR Y HAD TO BE BELOW ACR X TO LAND AT AHN. THE CTLR THAT WAS TALKING TO BOTH ACFT DSNDED THE ACFT TO FL230 AND TURNED THEM HEAD-ON TO ONE ANOTHER. THE C/A ACTIVATED AND THE CTLR THEN EXPEDITED CPR Y TO FL210. THE ACFT PASSED WITH 3.5 MI LAT AND 600' VERT. ME OBSERVATION IS THAT THE CTLR INVOLVED WAS OVERWORKED, HAD INSUFFICIENT HELP, HAD TOO MANY ACFT AND THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED.

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.