Narrative:

I reported to work. The logs showed me as regular day off (rdo). The supervisor was at the WX briefing. X was watching the area. Sector 34 (orf high) requested an l-side. I told X to work and I would watch the area. Sector 23 (ccv low), sector 54 (sby high), and sector 50 (ykt super high) requested d-sides. There was 1 person on break, whom I paged back. I then had the a-side situation on 1 sector leaving still 1 sector west/O help and myself watching the area and performing the a-side function. The supervisor then returned and I advised him of all the above. At that time, the supervisor stated that it appeared that I wasn't scheduled to work, but asked if I would work overtime. I accepted and went to R58 (cyn high). There was training in progress, so I plugged in the l-side jack. The trner unplugged from the r-side jack and plugged in the d-side jack. I then moved from the l-side jack to the bottom left r-side jack so I could hear the recorded briefing. The trnee dialed the R58 position to record the briefing. Several aircraft were calling and at least 1 person was on the override, thus making it hard to hear the briefing. I dialed the R58 position from the d-side position so we could come off the indirect access to ourself and answer the override and the aircraft. The trner then not realizing what I had done unplugged from the d-side jack and plugged in the l-side jack. When this happened we were disconnected from being recorded. I believe the trnee dialed our own position back to complete the briefing. I asked the trnee to disregard the recorded briefing because in my opinion the sector was becoming overloaded due to the increased confusion and workload being directly caused by the recorded relief briefing process. The trnee continued the recorded briefing and I accepted the sector. I began scrambling to catch up. The override nor any aircraft were answered during this briefing process. Immediately upon accepting the sector, I went to answer the override. I was in the wrong jack and had to switch from left side to right side. I observed an aircraft reported altitude of FL260 entering my sector head-on and in conflict alert with air carrier X. Several other aircraft in the ZNY's airspace were in conflict alert, adding to the confusion. I answered the override which was the B area controller pointing out the deviating aircraft. We resolved the conflict. I then noted a phl departure was about to enter sector 23 (ccv low) west/O a pointout and was climbing into sector 54 (sby) west/O a handoff. (At this point, I felt I could use a d-side, but after having just left watching the area, I knew that in addition to what I stated earlier, the R59 [sie high] controller had just requested an l-side. The controller I just relieved was then sent to cover for the controller who was taken and sent to work the L-59 position. By the time someone else could have given up their d-side to help me I would have already gotten the sector back under control.) I was trying to call R23 (ccv low) to point out the phl departure when the relieved controller ran over and said the aircraft had been physically pointed out to the R23 (ccv low) position. I then handed off the aircraft to sector 54 (sby high). From there I climbed 2 aircraft to higher altitude and switched several aircraft's frequency. An aircraft came back on the frequency after having taken a frequency change for another aircraft as the relief briefing was beginning. The pilot was confused as to where he should be. I resolved the problem and then went to air carrier X. Air carrier X was departing FL255 and in my judgement was at least 5 mi tail to tail with air carrier Y. I climbed air carrier X to FL280. The C/a flashed 1 time and stopped. I then quickly did a trackball distance and it said 5.8 mi. I felt the whole time I had adequate spacing. After this occurred, I realized the scope was set on the 75 mi range and I always work on the 100 mi range. In the confusion, I had not had time to check the scope settings. With this range difference, what would normally be 5 mi to me would actually be about 3 mi. The snitch went off and I was charged with an aircraft operational error. The printout showed 3.15 mi and 700' vertical. I feel the recorded relief briefing process greatly contributed to this operational error. It created an unnecessary catch-up workload and an enormous amount of confusion. I also feel staffing was inadequate for the vol of traffic in the area at the time. There was not enough people to cover the positions needing help, much less relieve anyone for breaks. I was logged on the position for only 1 min when this error occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: I RPTED TO WORK. THE LOGS SHOWED ME AS REGULAR DAY OFF (RDO). THE SUPVR WAS AT THE WX BRIEFING. X WAS WATCHING THE AREA. SECTOR 34 (ORF HIGH) REQUESTED AN L-SIDE. I TOLD X TO WORK AND I WOULD WATCH THE AREA. SECTOR 23 (CCV LOW), SECTOR 54 (SBY HIGH), AND SECTOR 50 (YKT SUPER HIGH) REQUESTED D-SIDES. THERE WAS 1 PERSON ON BREAK, WHOM I PAGED BACK. I THEN HAD THE A-SIDE SIT ON 1 SECTOR LEAVING STILL 1 SECTOR W/O HELP AND MYSELF WATCHING THE AREA AND PERFORMING THE A-SIDE FUNCTION. THE SUPVR THEN RETURNED AND I ADVISED HIM OF ALL THE ABOVE. AT THAT TIME, THE SUPVR STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT I WASN'T SCHEDULED TO WORK, BUT ASKED IF I WOULD WORK OVERTIME. I ACCEPTED AND WENT TO R58 (CYN HIGH). THERE WAS TRNING IN PROGRESS, SO I PLUGGED IN THE L-SIDE JACK. THE TRNER UNPLUGGED FROM THE R-SIDE JACK AND PLUGGED IN THE D-SIDE JACK. I THEN MOVED FROM THE L-SIDE JACK TO THE BOTTOM LEFT R-SIDE JACK SO I COULD HEAR THE RECORDED BRIEFING. THE TRNEE DIALED THE R58 POS TO RECORD THE BRIEFING. SEVERAL ACFT WERE CALLING AND AT LEAST 1 PERSON WAS ON THE OVERRIDE, THUS MAKING IT HARD TO HEAR THE BRIEFING. I DIALED THE R58 POS FROM THE D-SIDE POS SO WE COULD COME OFF THE INDIRECT ACCESS TO OURSELF AND ANSWER THE OVERRIDE AND THE ACFT. THE TRNER THEN NOT REALIZING WHAT I HAD DONE UNPLUGGED FROM THE D-SIDE JACK AND PLUGGED IN THE L-SIDE JACK. WHEN THIS HAPPENED WE WERE DISCONNECTED FROM BEING RECORDED. I BELIEVE THE TRNEE DIALED OUR OWN POS BACK TO COMPLETE THE BRIEFING. I ASKED THE TRNEE TO DISREGARD THE RECORDED BRIEFING BECAUSE IN MY OPINION THE SECTOR WAS BECOMING OVERLOADED DUE TO THE INCREASED CONFUSION AND WORKLOAD BEING DIRECTLY CAUSED BY THE RECORDED RELIEF BRIEFING PROCESS. THE TRNEE CONTINUED THE RECORDED BRIEFING AND I ACCEPTED THE SECTOR. I BEGAN SCRAMBLING TO CATCH UP. THE OVERRIDE NOR ANY ACFT WERE ANSWERED DURING THIS BRIEFING PROCESS. IMMEDIATELY UPON ACCEPTING THE SECTOR, I WENT TO ANSWER THE OVERRIDE. I WAS IN THE WRONG JACK AND HAD TO SWITCH FROM LEFT SIDE TO RIGHT SIDE. I OBSERVED AN ACFT RPTED ALT OF FL260 ENTERING MY SECTOR HEAD-ON AND IN CONFLICT ALERT WITH ACR X. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN THE ZNY'S AIRSPACE WERE IN CONFLICT ALERT, ADDING TO THE CONFUSION. I ANSWERED THE OVERRIDE WHICH WAS THE B AREA CTLR POINTING OUT THE DEVIATING ACFT. WE RESOLVED THE CONFLICT. I THEN NOTED A PHL DEP WAS ABOUT TO ENTER SECTOR 23 (CCV LOW) W/O A POINTOUT AND WAS CLBING INTO SECTOR 54 (SBY) W/O A HDOF. (AT THIS POINT, I FELT I COULD USE A D-SIDE, BUT AFTER HAVING JUST LEFT WATCHING THE AREA, I KNEW THAT IN ADDITION TO WHAT I STATED EARLIER, THE R59 [SIE HIGH] CTLR HAD JUST REQUESTED AN L-SIDE. THE CTLR I JUST RELIEVED WAS THEN SENT TO COVER FOR THE CTLR WHO WAS TAKEN AND SENT TO WORK THE L-59 POS. BY THE TIME SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR D-SIDE TO HELP ME I WOULD HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THE SECTOR BACK UNDER CTL.) I WAS TRYING TO CALL R23 (CCV LOW) TO POINT OUT THE PHL DEP WHEN THE RELIEVED CTLR RAN OVER AND SAID THE ACFT HAD BEEN PHYSICALLY POINTED OUT TO THE R23 (CCV LOW) POS. I THEN HANDED OFF THE ACFT TO SECTOR 54 (SBY HIGH). FROM THERE I CLBED 2 ACFT TO HIGHER ALT AND SWITCHED SEVERAL ACFT'S FREQ. AN ACFT CAME BACK ON THE FREQ AFTER HAVING TAKEN A FREQ CHANGE FOR ANOTHER ACFT AS THE RELIEF BRIEFING WAS BEGINNING. THE PLT WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHERE HE SHOULD BE. I RESOLVED THE PROB AND THEN WENT TO ACR X. ACR X WAS DEPARTING FL255 AND IN MY JUDGEMENT WAS AT LEAST 5 MI TAIL TO TAIL WITH ACR Y. I CLBED ACR X TO FL280. THE C/A FLASHED 1 TIME AND STOPPED. I THEN QUICKLY DID A TRACKBALL DISTANCE AND IT SAID 5.8 MI. I FELT THE WHOLE TIME I HAD ADEQUATE SPACING. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, I REALIZED THE SCOPE WAS SET ON THE 75 MI RANGE AND I ALWAYS WORK ON THE 100 MI RANGE. IN THE CONFUSION, I HAD NOT HAD TIME TO CHK THE SCOPE SETTINGS. WITH THIS RANGE DIFFERENCE, WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE 5 MI TO ME WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABOUT 3 MI. THE SNITCH WENT OFF AND I WAS CHARGED WITH AN ACFT OPERROR. THE PRINTOUT SHOWED 3.15 MI AND 700' VERT. I FEEL THE RECORDED RELIEF BRIEFING PROCESS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OPERROR. IT CREATED AN UNNECESSARY CATCH-UP WORKLOAD AND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CONFUSION. I ALSO FEEL STAFFING WAS INADEQUATE FOR THE VOL OF TFC IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO COVER THE POSITIONS NEEDING HELP, MUCH LESS RELIEVE ANYONE FOR BREAKS. I WAS LOGGED ON THE POS FOR ONLY 1 MIN WHEN THIS ERROR OCCURRED.

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.