Aircraft overtook a preceding aircraft which resulted in less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	148703
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ave
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	148703
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 27100 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

The situation began with both the arrival and departure sectors for the lax basin becoming busy with moderate to heavy traffic, part of this was due to one airport being allowed to release 5 departures outside their sequencing flow windows. R-26 accepted a handoff on an aircraft on a 305 degree heading after gmn. By procedure these aircraft are normally put on a 310 degree heading until the next sector clears them direct ave when traffic permits. The 305 degree heading was due to a strong westerly. (250 at 75 KTS). D-26 then approved two point outs proceeding gmn direct pxn. All the aircraft involved were still in sector 27's airspace so no mention of the aircraft they had just handed off. R-26 cleared the front aircraft direct ave on initial check-in and was not aware until then that this aircraft was assigned 250 KTS. Sector 27 was busy and did not tell sector 26 of the speed assignment. A few moments later the conflict alert went off making all of us aware of a 60 KT overtake increasing due to the lead aircraft direct into the wind. Upon noticing the conflict alert R-26 descended the front aircraft to FL270 and R-27 turned the second aircraft to a 360 degree heading resulting in sep of 4.6 NM and 500'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT OVERTOOK A PRECEDING ACFT WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: THE SITUATION BEGAN WITH BOTH THE ARR AND DEP SECTORS FOR THE LAX BASIN BECOMING BUSY WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY TFC, PART OF THIS WAS DUE TO ONE ARPT BEING ALLOWED TO RELEASE 5 DEPS OUTSIDE THEIR SEQUENCING FLOW WINDOWS. R-26 ACCEPTED A HDOF ON AN ACFT ON A 305 DEG HDG AFTER GMN. BY PROC THESE ACFT ARE NORMALLY PUT ON A 310 DEG HDG UNTIL THE NEXT SECTOR CLRS THEM DIRECT AVE WHEN TFC PERMITS. THE 305 DEG HDG WAS DUE TO A STRONG WESTERLY. (250 AT 75 KTS). D-26 THEN APPROVED TWO POINT OUTS PROCEEDING GMN DIRECT PXN. ALL THE ACFT INVOLVED WERE STILL IN SECTOR 27'S AIRSPACE SO NO MENTION OF THE ACFT THEY HAD JUST HANDED OFF. R-26 CLRED THE FRONT ACFT DIRECT AVE ON INITIAL CHK-IN AND WAS NOT AWARE UNTIL THEN THAT THIS ACFT WAS ASSIGNED 250 KTS. SECTOR 27 WAS BUSY AND DID NOT TELL SECTOR 26 OF THE SPD ASSIGNMENT. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF MAKING ALL OF US AWARE OF A 60 KT OVERTAKE INCREASING DUE TO THE LEAD ACFT DIRECT INTO THE WIND. UPON NOTICING THE CONFLICT ALERT R-26 DSNDED THE FRONT ACFT TO FL270 AND R-27 TURNED THE SECOND ACFT TO A 360 DEG HDG RESULTING IN SEP OF 4.6 NM AND 500'.

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.