Less than standard separation between an medium large transport climbing and 1 descending.

Attributes
ACN	184522
Time
Date	199107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fra
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31800 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
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 : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : developmental
Experience	controller non radar : 1
ASRS Report	184522
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
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 22500 vertical : 1200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was the radar controller at oakland sector 15 and was getting busy when handoffs were taken on 4 aircraft landing sjc. We were in a 20 mi in trail period to sjc and these aircraft were in no way sequenced. There was crossing traffic at the same altitudes, as the arrs and these (sjc bound) aircraft were being descended and 'south-turned' for spacing. A handoff was taken on an aircraft medium large transport X which had departed smf and was at a temporary altitude of FL270. Medium large transport X was climbed to FL330 to facilitate the descent of the sjc bound aircraft and medium large transport X was vectored sbound for traffic at FL330. Medium large transport Y inbound to sjc was on a vector for spacing and level at FL330. The potential conflict was seen and I immediately turned medium large transport Y to a 250 heading and expedited descent and turned medium large transport X to a 075 heading and expedited climb. Turns and altitude changes were not timely and separation was lost. Conflict alert did not go off. I feel that the factor which made this a complicated traffic situation was the vectoring that was required to get the required in trail spacing on sjc arrs, 2 of which had been taken off the preferential routing without appreq.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS BTWN AN MLG CLBING AND 1 DSNDING.

Narrative: I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT OAKLAND SECTOR 15 AND WAS GETTING BUSY WHEN HDOFS WERE TAKEN ON 4 ACFT LNDG SJC. WE WERE IN A 20 MI IN TRAIL PERIOD TO SJC AND THESE ACFT WERE IN NO WAY SEQUENCED. THERE WAS XING TFC AT THE SAME ALTS, AS THE ARRS AND THESE (SJC BOUND) ACFT WERE BEING DSNDED AND 'S-TURNED' FOR SPACING. A HANDOFF WAS TAKEN ON AN ACFT MLG X WHICH HAD DEPARTED SMF AND WAS AT A TEMPORARY ALT OF FL270. MLG X WAS CLBED TO FL330 TO FACILITATE THE DSCNT OF THE SJC BOUND ACFT AND MLG X WAS VECTORED SBOUND FOR TFC AT FL330. MLG Y INBOUND TO SJC WAS ON A VECTOR FOR SPACING AND LEVEL AT FL330. THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT WAS SEEN AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED MLG Y TO A 250 HDG AND EXPEDITED DSCNT AND TURNED MLG X TO A 075 HDG AND EXPEDITED CLB. TURNS AND ALT CHANGES WERE NOT TIMELY AND SEPARATION WAS LOST. CONFLICT ALERT DID NOT GO OFF. I FEEL THAT THE FACTOR WHICH MADE THIS A COMPLICATED TFC SITUATION WAS THE VECTORING THAT WAS REQUIRED TO GET THE REQUIRED IN TRAIL SPACING ON SJC ARRS, 2 OF WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF THE PREFERENTIAL RTING WITHOUT APPREQ.

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.