Narrative:

On 10/xx/90, I was working west high radar at ocean TRACON. At XX00 local I took the position. Within approximately 5 mins there were 6 or 7 inbound handoffs which I accepted. The strips indicated that the aircraft eventually involved, light transport bos to ny, showed 8000' on the strip, and small transport mvy to ewr via hfd at 10000'. As a result of the attention required on V16 (the opp side of the radar scope) and the vol of traffic, I heard small transport check in, but did not hear him advise that he was out of 6000' for 8000'. The strip still showed 10000' as the final. It had been amended in fdio by captain TRACON; however, they did not coordinate as required when the amendment is made less than 15 mins prior to handoff. In addition the flight data person who received the amendment via fdio did not amend the strip. Basically the problem occurred because I saw 10000' on the strip and did not really listen to what the pilot told me. The other factors contributed in that had they been done they would have alerted me to the potential conflict but the final safeguards are my eyes and ears and my mindset that small transport was climbing to 10000' blinded me to altitude readouts and deafened me to pilot's comments and reports. The end result was small transport and light transport were on converging courses at the same altitude. I issued traffic to small transport at 2 O'clock, 3 mi. Small transport reported traffic insight and was instructed to maintain visibility sep. Light transport was then issued traffic at 10 O'clock and 2 mi, which he reported in sight. I advised the supervisor of the incident and told him I believed that it was ok, but that it was a last minute catch and that the 2 aircraft had passed about 100' apart vertical.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION. OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC AT SAME ALT.

Narrative: ON 10/XX/90, I WAS WORKING W HIGH RADAR AT OCEAN TRACON. AT XX00 LCL I TOOK THE POS. WITHIN APPROX 5 MINS THERE WERE 6 OR 7 INBND HDOFS WHICH I ACCEPTED. THE STRIPS INDICATED THAT THE ACFT EVENTUALLY INVOLVED, LTT BOS TO NY, SHOWED 8000' ON THE STRIP, AND SMT MVY TO EWR VIA HFD AT 10000'. AS A RESULT OF THE ATTN REQUIRED ON V16 (THE OPP SIDE OF THE RADAR SCOPE) AND THE VOL OF TFC, I HEARD SMT CHK IN, BUT DID NOT HEAR HIM ADVISE THAT HE WAS OUT OF 6000' FOR 8000'. THE STRIP STILL SHOWED 10000' AS THE FINAL. IT HAD BEEN AMENDED IN FDIO BY CAPT TRACON; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT COORDINATE AS REQUIRED WHEN THE AMENDMENT IS MADE LESS THAN 15 MINS PRIOR TO HDOF. IN ADDITION THE FLT DATA PERSON WHO RECEIVED THE AMENDMENT VIA FDIO DID NOT AMEND THE STRIP. BASICALLY THE PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE I SAW 10000' ON THE STRIP AND DID NOT REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT THE PLT TOLD ME. THE OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTED IN THAT HAD THEY BEEN DONE THEY WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT BUT THE FINAL SAFEGUARDS ARE MY EYES AND EARS AND MY MINDSET THAT SMT WAS CLBING TO 10000' BLINDED ME TO ALT READOUTS AND DEAFENED ME TO PLT'S COMMENTS AND RPTS. THE END RESULT WAS SMT AND LTT WERE ON CONVERGING COURSES AT THE SAME ALT. I ISSUED TFC TO SMT AT 2 O'CLOCK, 3 MI. SMT RPTED TFC INSIGHT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP. LTT WAS THEN ISSUED TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 2 MI, WHICH HE RPTED IN SIGHT. I ADVISED THE SUPVR OF THE INCIDENT AND TOLD HIM I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS OK, BUT THAT IT WAS A LAST MINUTE CATCH AND THAT THE 2 ACFT HAD PASSED ABOUT 100' APART VERT.

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.