Two air carrier aircraft cleared to cross same VOR at same altitude. Less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	149559
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : brs
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ul304
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	149559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Flying widebody transport as air cargo from sbgl to kmem in radar contact with brazilia center level fl 310 approximately overhead at the brazilia VOR. Saw an aircraft off our right wing level less than 1/2 mi away. Called center to inquire about traffic. The other aircraft (air carrier B) also saw us converging and turned away requesting climb. Air carrier B was given climb to FL330. Brazilia center said we were 10 mi apart. I talked to the captain on the radio and he agreed we were very close. He informed me he was also to cross the VOR indicating we were to collide if left on our courses and altitudes. Voice recorder circuit breaker was pulled and conversations preserved. Addendum: air carrier C flew overhead us earlier at FL330 southbound, said he saw us converging approximately 5 mi apart earlier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO ACR ACFT CLEARED TO CROSS SAME VOR AT SAME ALT. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: FLYING WDB AS AIR CARGO FROM SBGL TO KMEM IN RADAR CONTACT WITH BRAZILIA CTR LEVEL FL 310 APPROX OVERHEAD AT THE BRAZILIA VOR. SAW AN ACFT OFF OUR R WING LEVEL LESS THAN 1/2 MI AWAY. CALLED CTR TO INQUIRE ABOUT TFC. THE OTHER ACFT (ACR B) ALSO SAW US CONVERGING AND TURNED AWAY REQUESTING CLB. ACR B WAS GIVEN CLB TO FL330. BRAZILIA CTR SAID WE WERE 10 MI APART. I TALKED TO THE CAPT ON THE RADIO AND HE AGREED WE WERE VERY CLOSE. HE INFORMED ME HE WAS ALSO TO CROSS THE VOR INDICATING WE WERE TO COLLIDE IF LEFT ON OUR COURSES AND ALTS. VOICE RECORDER CB WAS PULLED AND CONVERSATIONS PRESERVED. ADDENDUM: ACR C FLEW OVERHEAD US EARLIER AT FL330 SBND, SAID HE SAW US CONVERGING APPROX 5 MI APART EARLIER.

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.