Narrative:

I was giving radar OJT instructions to a radar trnee on the kingston high altitude radar sector west/O a manual controller at the position. We received a radar handoff on widebody transport X aircraft, position 10 mi south of hancock VORTAC who had been reclred direct kingston VORTAC, hancock 5 arrival to jfk at FL290. The aircraft had to be reclred from his position south of hancock direct kingston in that the aircraft had turned off from his assigned routing and had subsequently became involved in a system error in ZNY airspace. Widebody transport X was observed not proceeding direct to kingston, but rather on a course taking the aircraft south of the cleared course. This caused a delay in starting the aircraft's descent for arrival via kingston VORTAC into jfk. Medium large transport Y aircraft subsequently departed bradley airport direct pauling VORTAC direct sparta VORTAC requesting FL390. Widebody transport X was descended to FL230 and turned to a heading of 010 degrees at a point southeast of kingston VORTAC to vector the aircraft back over kingston VORTAC for arrival to jfk. Medium large transport Y was issued a climb to FL220 and to maintain present heading (approximately 270 degrees) for vector to the west of widebody transport X intended path. I, the radar instrument, became involved in coordinating with low altitude sectors for sequencing and subsequent holding instructions on another aircraft who was discovered to be on the wrong flight plan, landing at ewr vice jfk as well as subsequently coordinating with other sectors for assistance in reestablishing radio contact with an air carrier jet entering the airspace from the northeast. During these distrs, my radar trnee descended the widebody transport X to FL200 and reclred him to turn to a new heading of 270 degrees, west/O marking the new altitude on the strip or updating the altitude assigned block of widebody transport X. I was not cognizant of the issuance of the new altitude of FL200 to widebody transport X, and as widebody transport X was turning to the new heading of 270 degrees, at a point 5 mi south of the position on medium large transport Y, I observed widebody transport X descending below the indicated altitude of FL230. Medium large transport Y was level at FL220. My trnee immediately issued a clearance to widebody transport X to maintain FL230 which widebody transport X acknowledged twice. Then my trnee issued a turn to 350 degrees and a descent to FL210 to medium large transport Y. Medium large transport Y questioned whether that clearance was for him. I took over radio communications at that time issuing an immediate right turn to medium large transport Y to 330 degrees. The aircraft were observed to be approximately 4.5 mi latitude and 500' vertical separated at minimal sep. Observations: although the #south of aircraft being worked in the sector at the time of the incident were few (5 aircraft), the unusual rapidly occurring situations; i.e., 1) the air carrier aircraft informing us his destination was ewr vice jfk, 2) the coordination required to sequence air carrier for arrival into ewr, 3) a subsequent hold for 45 mins of the aircraft due to presidential aircraft movement at ewr, 4) the NORDO condition of another jet entering the sector, and 5) the errant navigation of widebody transport X in the sector, indicated the need for the manual position to be staffed to assist in items 1-4 above and to prevent my full attention from being distracted in monitoring my trnee.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR GIVING OJT AND TRAINEE DESCENDS WDB TO SAME ALT AS MLG. INSTRUCTOR INTERVENES, BUT TOO LATE TO SAVE LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING RADAR OJT INSTRUCTIONS TO A RADAR TRNEE ON THE KINGSTON HIGH ALT RADAR SECTOR W/O A MANUAL CTLR AT THE POS. WE RECEIVED A RADAR HDOF ON WDB X ACFT, POS 10 MI S OF HANCOCK VORTAC WHO HAD BEEN RECLRED DIRECT KINGSTON VORTAC, HANCOCK 5 ARR TO JFK AT FL290. THE ACFT HAD TO BE RECLRED FROM HIS POS S OF HANCOCK DIRECT KINGSTON IN THAT THE ACFT HAD TURNED OFF FROM HIS ASSIGNED RTING AND HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME INVOLVED IN A SYS ERROR IN ZNY AIRSPACE. WDB X WAS OBSERVED NOT PROCEEDING DIRECT TO KINGSTON, BUT RATHER ON A COURSE TAKING THE ACFT S OF THE CLRED COURSE. THIS CAUSED A DELAY IN STARTING THE ACFT'S DSNT FOR ARR VIA KINGSTON VORTAC INTO JFK. MLG Y ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED BRADLEY ARPT DIRECT PAULING VORTAC DIRECT SPARTA VORTAC REQUESTING FL390. WDB X WAS DSNDED TO FL230 AND TURNED TO A HDG OF 010 DEGS AT A POINT SE OF KINGSTON VORTAC TO VECTOR THE ACFT BACK OVER KINGSTON VORTAC FOR ARR TO JFK. MLG Y WAS ISSUED A CLB TO FL220 AND TO MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG (APPROX 270 DEGS) FOR VECTOR TO THE W OF WDB X INTENDED PATH. I, THE RADAR INSTR, BECAME INVOLVED IN COORDINATING WITH LOW ALT SECTORS FOR SEQUENCING AND SUBSEQUENT HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS ON ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS DISCOVERED TO BE ON THE WRONG FLT PLAN, LNDG AT EWR VICE JFK AS WELL AS SUBSEQUENTLY COORDINATING WITH OTHER SECTORS FOR ASSISTANCE IN REESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH AN ACR JET ENTERING THE AIRSPACE FROM THE NE. DURING THESE DISTRS, MY RADAR TRNEE DSNDED THE WDB X TO FL200 AND RECLRED HIM TO TURN TO A NEW HDG OF 270 DEGS, W/O MARKING THE NEW ALT ON THE STRIP OR UPDATING THE ALT ASSIGNED BLOCK OF WDB X. I WAS NOT COGNIZANT OF THE ISSUANCE OF THE NEW ALT OF FL200 TO WDB X, AND AS WDB X WAS TURNING TO THE NEW HDG OF 270 DEGS, AT A POINT 5 MI S OF THE POS ON MLG Y, I OBSERVED WDB X DSNDING BELOW THE INDICATED ALT OF FL230. MLG Y WAS LEVEL AT FL220. MY TRNEE IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A CLRNC TO WDB X TO MAINTAIN FL230 WHICH WDB X ACKNOWLEDGED TWICE. THEN MY TRNEE ISSUED A TURN TO 350 DEGS AND A DSNT TO FL210 TO MLG Y. MLG Y QUESTIONED WHETHER THAT CLRNC WAS FOR HIM. I TOOK OVER RADIO COMS AT THAT TIME ISSUING AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN TO MLG Y TO 330 DEGS. THE ACFT WERE OBSERVED TO BE APPROX 4.5 MI LAT AND 500' VERT SEPARATED AT MINIMAL SEP. OBSERVATIONS: ALTHOUGH THE #S OF ACFT BEING WORKED IN THE SECTOR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE FEW (5 ACFT), THE UNUSUAL RAPIDLY OCCURRING SITUATIONS; I.E., 1) THE ACR ACFT INFORMING US HIS DEST WAS EWR VICE JFK, 2) THE COORD REQUIRED TO SEQUENCE ACR FOR ARR INTO EWR, 3) A SUBSEQUENT HOLD FOR 45 MINS OF THE ACFT DUE TO PRESIDENTIAL ACFT MOVEMENT AT EWR, 4) THE NORDO CONDITION OF ANOTHER JET ENTERING THE SECTOR, AND 5) THE ERRANT NAV OF WDB X IN THE SECTOR, INDICATED THE NEED FOR THE MANUAL POS TO BE STAFFED TO ASSIST IN ITEMS 1-4 ABOVE AND TO PREVENT MY FULL ATTN FROM BEING DISTRACTED IN MONITORING MY TRNEE.

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.