Narrative:

Near camrn intersection on arrival to jfk we had near mid air with widebody transport air carrier Y. TCAS ii on and operating on our aircraft. ATC issued us a descent clearance to 3000'. As we began descent TCAS ii issued 'traffic' call; then instrument controller issued a 'expedite your descent' clearance. TCAS ii gave 'climb, climb now' RA; then gave 'descend, descend now'. At same time, ATC was trying to sort it all out. In conversation with jfk watch supervisor, he indicated training of controller was in process. I feel controller error was a large part of this conflict. All of this took place in very short time 15-25 seconds. I will be glad to give more detail in phone conversation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter says that there was an FAA investigation of incident and it was operational error. He said that developmental controller tried to turn widebody transport air carrier Y onto the arrival route in front of air carrier X, but that air carrier Y was slow in turning because flight crew did not want to turn into thunderstorm activity. Both X and Y were cleared to descend from 11000' to 3000'. At time of first TCAS ii advisory air carrier Y was at 10 O'clock position and about 300' below air carrier X. After conflicting advisories from ATC and from TCAS the reporter decided they should get out of area so turned to the right and made a rapid descent. Thinks closest proximity at same altitude was probably about a mi. Air carrier Y took two lightening strikes right after the conflict. Both aircraft in solid IMC at the time of incident...supplemental information from acn 173870. Situation was very confusing due to 3 close together commands to do different things.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN TWO ACR ACFT. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: NEAR CAMRN INTXN ON ARR TO JFK WE HAD NEAR MID AIR WITH WDB ACR Y. TCAS II ON AND OPERATING ON OUR ACFT. ATC ISSUED US A DSNT CLRNC TO 3000'. AS WE BEGAN DSNT TCAS II ISSUED 'TFC' CALL; THEN INSTR CTLR ISSUED A 'EXPEDITE YOUR DSNT' CLRNC. TCAS II GAVE 'CLB, CLB NOW' RA; THEN GAVE 'DSND, DSND NOW'. AT SAME TIME, ATC WAS TRYING TO SORT IT ALL OUT. IN CONVERSATION WITH JFK WATCH SUPVR, HE INDICATED TRNING OF CTLR WAS IN PROCESS. I FEEL CTLR ERROR WAS A LARGE PART OF THIS CONFLICT. ALL OF THIS TOOK PLACE IN VERY SHORT TIME 15-25 SECS. I WILL BE GLAD TO GIVE MORE DETAIL IN PHONE CONVERSATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAYS THAT THERE WAS AN FAA INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT AND IT WAS OPERATIONAL ERROR. HE SAID THAT DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR TRIED TO TURN WDB ACR Y ONTO THE ARR RTE IN FRONT OF ACR X, BUT THAT ACR Y WAS SLOW IN TURNING BECAUSE FLC DID NOT WANT TO TURN INTO TSTM ACTIVITY. BOTH X AND Y WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM 11000' TO 3000'. AT TIME OF FIRST TCAS II ADVISORY ACR Y WAS AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 300' BELOW ACR X. AFTER CONFLICTING ADVISORIES FROM ATC AND FROM TCAS THE RPTR DECIDED THEY SHOULD GET OUT OF AREA SO TURNED TO THE R AND MADE A RAPID DSNT. THINKS CLOSEST PROX AT SAME ALT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT A MI. ACR Y TOOK TWO LIGHTENING STRIKES R AFTER THE CONFLICT. BOTH ACFT IN SOLID IMC AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT...SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 173870. SITUATION WAS VERY CONFUSING DUE TO 3 CLOSE TOGETHER COMMANDS TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS.

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.