Atx aircraft was descended through an occupied altitude resulting in less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	159676
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : foe
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : alb
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	159676
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working east feeder at alb TRACON. There was lots of coordination and distrs which is inherent of this position. I received a handoff from the west feeder on an aircraft (small aircraft X) sebnd on V146. This routing should have been corrected to V130 which is the outbnd routing to bdl approach control at 7000'. I also took a handoff from the southeast at 10000' from bdl on an atx Y inbound on V146. At the same time I had an aircraft go missed approach at 5b5. By this time I had descended atx Y to 5000'. There was at least 25 mi sep between small aircraft X at 7000' southeast and atx Y northwest inbound. The missed approach aircraft needed holding instructions at 5b5. Also, I was actively controling a total of 11 aft with no assistance from a handoff position. I scanned and saw the conflict and turned both atx Y and the 7000' small aircraft X. Small aircraft X did not take the turn at first due to frequency congestion from another facility. Sep was less than standard, but not critical. All 3 factors that caused this are well known to the facility. The position gets overwhelmed with coordination and no handoff person is even assigned. Also the frequency interference has been known for at least 2 yrs. Lastly, the canan intersection is the most complex area in the terminal with crossing traffic in all 360 degrees, inbound, outbnd and overflts. The fastest way to solve this is to control the flow to this sector and assign a handoff position. I see a minimum of one of these type deviations a day within a 10 NM radius of the canan intersection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX ACFT WAS DESCENDED THROUGH AN OCCUPIED ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING E FEEDER AT ALB TRACON. THERE WAS LOTS OF COORD AND DISTRS WHICH IS INHERENT OF THIS POS. I RECEIVED A HDOF FROM THE W FEEDER ON AN ACFT (SMA X) SEBND ON V146. THIS RTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED TO V130 WHICH IS THE OUTBND RTING TO BDL APCH CTL AT 7000'. I ALSO TOOK A HDOF FROM THE SE AT 10000' FROM BDL ON AN ATX Y INBND ON V146. AT THE SAME TIME I HAD AN ACFT GO MISSED APCH AT 5B5. BY THIS TIME I HAD DSNDED ATX Y TO 5000'. THERE WAS AT LEAST 25 MI SEP BTWN SMA X AT 7000' SE AND ATX Y NW INBND. THE MISSED APCH ACFT NEEDED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT 5B5. ALSO, I WAS ACTIVELY CTLING A TOTAL OF 11 AFT WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM A HDOF POS. I SCANNED AND SAW THE CONFLICT AND TURNED BOTH ATX Y AND THE 7000' SMA X. SMA X DID NOT TAKE THE TURN AT FIRST DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION FROM ANOTHER FAC. SEP WAS LESS THAN STANDARD, BUT NOT CRITICAL. ALL 3 FACTORS THAT CAUSED THIS ARE WELL KNOWN TO THE FAC. THE POS GETS OVERWHELMED WITH COORD AND NO HDOF PERSON IS EVEN ASSIGNED. ALSO THE FREQ INTERFERENCE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR AT LEAST 2 YRS. LASTLY, THE CANAN INTXN IS THE MOST COMPLEX AREA IN THE TERMINAL WITH XING TFC IN ALL 360 DEGS, INBND, OUTBND AND OVERFLTS. THE FASTEST WAY TO SOLVE THIS IS TO CTL THE FLOW TO THIS SECTOR AND ASSIGN A HDOF POS. I SEE A MINIMUM OF ONE OF THESE TYPE DEVIATIONS A DAY WITHIN A 10 NM RADIUS OF THE CANAN INTXN.

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.