Air carrier Y had less than standard separation from air carrier Z. System error.

Attributes
ACN	172253
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bal
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 5 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	172253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 16800 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Two air carrier's on heading ot get intrail spacing with other aircraft going over 000. Air carrier X behind doing same thing. Air carrier Y transversing the course of air carrier X. Loss of radar data here and there. Air carrier Y conflict becomes apparent with air carrier X, air carrier X climbed to FL250. Air carrier Y descended to FL210, conflict resolved. Air carrier Y got too close to air carrier Z at FL220. Too many aircraft, frequency congestion. Possible to have orf-lga traffic taken to FL250 or wrong altitude for direction flight imposed, to prevent recurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: TWO ACR'S ON HDG OT GET INTRAIL SPACING WITH OTHER ACFT GOING OVER 000. ACR X BEHIND DOING SAME THING. ACR Y TRANSVERSING THE COURSE OF ACR X. LOSS OF RADAR DATA HERE AND THERE. ACR Y CONFLICT BECOMES APPARENT WITH ACR X, ACR X CLBED TO FL250. ACR Y DSNDED TO FL210, CONFLICT RESOLVED. ACR Y GOT TOO CLOSE TO ACR Z AT FL220. TOO MANY ACFT, FREQ CONGESTION. POSSIBLE TO HAVE ORF-LGA TFC TAKEN TO FL250 OR WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION FLT IMPOSED, TO PREVENT RECURRENCE.

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.