Narrative:

Air carrier X that was under my control departed sjc on a SJC6 SID. After air carrier X started his right turn on the SID and seeing no other targets I instructed air carrier X to climb and maintain FL230. I had started air carrier X's climb a little early causing him to cross my sector boundary line at 55 when he should have been restr to 50 to protect other airspace. But the 'common' practice is if you see no other targets, and because air carriers are always asking to cancel the restriction, climb the aircraft. Unknown to me at this time another controller was delay vectoring a sfo bound air carrier Y at 60 with a limited data block which gave only controller position symbol and altitude on my display. Air carrier Y was being vectored from the south and over sjc northbound over the 50-60 sector boundary line adjoining my airspace. Approximately 4 mi north of sjc pilot said his TCAS alerted him to level off which he did at 55. He advised that there was an medium large transport above him. My coordinator and I were very surprised as we could not see another target. After looking very closely I saw a number mixed in with air carrier X's data block. Shortly thereafter air carrier Y's data block. Prior to air carrier X's departure, I was not working any aircraft and might not have been attentive to the radar or I might have noticed the air carrier Y limited data block. Supplemental information from acn 181916: air carrier X on the sjc 6 departure. After receiving departure verbal clearance to climb to FL230, we received a TCAS warning of 'traffic' and to 'descend'. We stopped climbing and began descent immediately. Outside we noticed air carrier Y opposite direction passing us about 500 ft above. Supplemental information from acn 182054: air carrier X was passing through about 050 degree and had not rolled out on the 110 degree heading. Passing through about 4300 ft and prior to the sjc 047 degree radial bay departure directed 'air carrier X, climb and maintain FL230'. The captain acknowledged the clearance, and reset the altitude reminder to the new clearance. I then initiated a climb to the new altitude. The aircraft continued to climb and shortly thereafter we received a TCAS alert of 'traffic, descend'. I looked at the TCAS screen and saw a red target at about 3 O'clock with the #6 next to it indicating 600 ft separation vertical. I then looked at my ivsi to decide the corrective maneuver and saw that it commanded an approximately 3000 FPM descent. I then disconnected the autoplt and autothrottles and initiated a smooth but quick descent while simultaneously continuing my turn and looking at my 3 O'clock. My view was somewhat obscured by the window frame and I had to move my head forward, but immediately saw air carrier Y above us. I then continued to visually maintain separation from the air carrier Y. The air carrier Y appeared to be heading nnw and level at about 500 ft above us and about 100 ft horizontal forward of us. TCAS then announced 'clear of traffic'. After I judged us clear we continued our climb and the captain advised bay departure that we had received a TCAS alert and had descended to avoid traffic above us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. ACR X TCASII RA EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X THAT WAS UNDER MY CTL DEPARTED SJC ON A SJC6 SID. AFTER ACR X STARTED HIS R TURN ON THE SID AND SEEING NO OTHER TARGETS I INSTRUCTED ACR X TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230. I HAD STARTED ACR X'S CLB A LITTLE EARLY CAUSING HIM TO CROSS MY SECTOR BOUNDARY LINE AT 55 WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESTR TO 50 TO PROTECT OTHER AIRSPACE. BUT THE 'COMMON' PRACTICE IS IF YOU SEE NO OTHER TARGETS, AND BECAUSE AIR CARRIERS ARE ALWAYS ASKING TO CANCEL THE RESTRICTION, CLB THE ACFT. UNKNOWN TO ME AT THIS TIME ANOTHER CTLR WAS DELAY VECTORING A SFO BOUND ACR Y AT 60 WITH A LIMITED DATA BLOCK WHICH GAVE ONLY CTLR POS SYMBOL AND ALT ON MY DISPLAY. ACR Y WAS BEING VECTORED FROM THE S AND OVER SJC NBOUND OVER THE 50-60 SECTOR BOUNDARY LINE ADJOINING MY AIRSPACE. APPROX 4 MI N OF SJC PLT SAID HIS TCAS ALERTED HIM TO LEVEL OFF WHICH HE DID AT 55. HE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN MLG ABOVE HIM. MY COORDINATOR AND I WERE VERY SURPRISED AS WE COULD NOT SEE ANOTHER TARGET. AFTER LOOKING VERY CLOSELY I SAW A NUMBER MIXED IN WITH ACR X'S DATA BLOCK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER ACR Y'S DATA BLOCK. PRIOR TO ACR X'S DEP, I WAS NOT WORKING ANY ACFT AND MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ATTENTIVE TO THE RADAR OR I MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THE ACR Y LIMITED DATA BLOCK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 181916: ACR X ON THE SJC 6 DEP. AFTER RECEIVING DEP VERBAL CLRNC TO CLB TO FL230, WE RECEIVED A TCAS WARNING OF 'TFC' AND TO 'DSND'. WE STOPPED CLBING AND BEGAN DSCNT IMMEDIATELY. OUTSIDE WE NOTICED ACR Y OPPOSITE DIRECTION PASSING US ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 182054: ACR X WAS PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 050 DEG AND HAD NOT ROLLED OUT ON THE 110 DEG HDG. PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 4300 FT AND PRIOR TO THE SJC 047 DEG RADIAL BAY DEP DIRECTED 'ACR X, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230'. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC, AND RESET THE ALT REMINDER TO THE NEW CLRNC. I THEN INITIATED A CLB TO THE NEW ALT. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE RECEIVED A TCAS ALERT OF 'TFC, DSND'. I LOOKED AT THE TCAS SCREEN AND SAW A RED TARGET AT ABOUT 3 O'CLOCK WITH THE #6 NEXT TO IT INDICATING 600 FT SEPARATION VERT. I THEN LOOKED AT MY IVSI TO DECIDE THE CORRECTIVE MANEUVER AND SAW THAT IT COMMANDED AN APPROX 3000 FPM DSCNT. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND INITIATED A SMOOTH BUT QUICK DSCNT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUING MY TURN AND LOOKING AT MY 3 O'CLOCK. MY VIEW WAS SOMEWHAT OBSCURED BY THE WINDOW FRAME AND I HAD TO MOVE MY HEAD FORWARD, BUT IMMEDIATELY SAW ACR Y ABOVE US. I THEN CONTINUED TO VISUALLY MAINTAIN SEPARATION FROM THE ACR Y. THE ACR Y APPEARED TO BE HDG NNW AND LEVEL AT ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE US AND ABOUT 100 FT HORIZ FORWARD OF US. TCAS THEN ANNOUNCED 'CLR OF TFC'. AFTER I JUDGED US CLR WE CONTINUED OUR CLB AND THE CAPT ADVISED BAY DEP THAT WE HAD RECEIVED A TCAS ALERT AND HAD DSNDED TO AVOID TFC ABOVE US.

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.