Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared direct lanai VOR with a julle 1 arrival into hnl. Approaching maui we were cleared to FL220. Past maui we were cleared to 16000' and 280 KTS airspeed. (Center frequency, 120.6). Approaching lanai VOR we were cleared to center frequency 119.3. At this identical time we observed a jet approaching us slightly lower and slightly left. Frequency 119.3 was congested when we came on, but we heard the center giving an air carrier flight a 20 degree left turn. At this time the jet we had been observing turned toward us and passed about 1/2 mi to our left at our altitude. It was air carrier Y. I contacted ZHN on arrival and was advised they were well aware of the situation and were looking into it. The air carrier Y pilot advised center he had not seen air carrier X. It would be my opinion that ZHN turned air carrier Y into us rather than away and we were not given any turns O traffic notification on either center frequency. The change of frequency at that instant compounded the situation. Supplemental information from acn 149310: en route to ito from hnl in a climb to FL230, ATC on 2 occasions requested a left turn, first of 10 degrees, then 20 degrees for traffic. Originally cleared to go direct to pumic intersection. North of hilo 101 degree course from just west of molokai, ATC had us going about 071 degrees. By the time we got to maui (point of incident) at FL220 center called and said to descend to FL210 immediately! Exactly at same time I looked out captain's windscreen to north. I saw air carrier X passing what seemed to be less than 1/4 mi at same altitude. Unable to react in time. We proceeded to hilo with no further incident. Upon landing at hilo. I called ZHN and inquired as to what had happened. The supervisor indicated to me that they had lost radar contact with air carrier X and air carrier X had failed to answer several calls. The controller had been removed from his scope. An operational error was being filed. Also the air carrier X crew said they saw us (as I called them also at their operations ramp office), but I didn't see them try to deviate at all! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that quality assurance at ZHN said that controller training was in progress. The sector working air carrier X and Y was working with overlapping radar sites. Reporter stated the captain of air carrier X said he started a turn away from air carrier Y. Air carrier X captain's report does not bear this out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACR X CLRED DIRECT LANAI VOR WITH A JULLE 1 ARR INTO HNL. APCHING MAUI WE WERE CLRED TO FL220. PAST MAUI WE WERE CLRED TO 16000' AND 280 KTS AIRSPD. (CENTER FREQ, 120.6). APCHING LANAI VOR WE WERE CLRED TO CENTER FREQ 119.3. AT THIS IDENTICAL TIME WE OBSERVED A JET APCHING US SLIGHTLY LOWER AND SLIGHTLY LEFT. FREQ 119.3 WAS CONGESTED WHEN WE CAME ON, BUT WE HEARD THE CENTER GIVING AN ACR FLT A 20 DEG LEFT TURN. AT THIS TIME THE JET WE HAD BEEN OBSERVING TURNED TOWARD US AND PASSED ABOUT 1/2 MI TO OUR LEFT AT OUR ALT. IT WAS ACR Y. I CONTACTED ZHN ON ARR AND WAS ADVISED THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND WERE LOOKING INTO IT. THE ACR Y PLT ADVISED CENTER HE HAD NOT SEEN ACR X. IT WOULD BE MY OPINION THAT ZHN TURNED ACR Y INTO US RATHER THAN AWAY AND WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY TURNS O TFC NOTIFICATION ON EITHER CENTER FREQ. THE CHANGE OF FREQ AT THAT INSTANT COMPOUNDED THE SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 149310: ENRTE TO ITO FROM HNL IN A CLB TO FL230, ATC ON 2 OCCASIONS REQUESTED A LEFT TURN, FIRST OF 10 DEGS, THEN 20 DEGS FOR TFC. ORIGINALLY CLRED TO GO DIRECT TO PUMIC INTXN. N OF HILO 101 DEG COURSE FROM JUST W OF MOLOKAI, ATC HAD US GOING ABOUT 071 DEGS. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO MAUI (POINT OF INCIDENT) AT FL220 CENTER CALLED AND SAID TO DSND TO FL210 IMMEDIATELY! EXACTLY AT SAME TIME I LOOKED OUT CAPT'S WINDSCREEN TO N. I SAW ACR X PASSING WHAT SEEMED TO BE LESS THAN 1/4 MI AT SAME ALT. UNABLE TO REACT IN TIME. WE PROCEEDED TO HILO WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON LNDG AT HILO. I CALLED ZHN AND INQUIRED AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE SUPVR INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY HAD LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH ACR X AND ACR X HAD FAILED TO ANSWER SEVERAL CALLS. THE CTLR HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM HIS SCOPE. AN OPERROR WAS BEING FILED. ALSO THE ACR X CREW SAID THEY SAW US (AS I CALLED THEM ALSO AT THEIR OPS RAMP OFFICE), BUT I DIDN'T SEE THEM TRY TO DEVIATE AT ALL! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT QUALITY ASSURANCE AT ZHN SAID THAT CTLR TRNING WAS IN PROGRESS. THE SECTOR WORKING ACR X AND Y WAS WORKING WITH OVERLAPPING RADAR SITES. RPTR STATED THE CAPT OF ACR X SAID HE STARTED A TURN AWAY FROM ACR Y. ACR X CAPT'S RPT DOES NOT BEAR THIS OUT.

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.