Air carrier X has less than standard separation from air carrier Y. System error.

Attributes
ACN	187169
Time
Date	199108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : orf
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
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 : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	187169
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X filed sby J209 orf J121./. At FL310, requested FL350 20 south of sby to get out of moderate chop. Air carrier X turned 20 left for northbound traffic and climbed to FL350. Handoff taken on air carrier Y at FL330 filed J121 orf J209 sby J79./. Reclred air carrier X to a 230 heading from approximately 35 northeast of orf to stay east of air carrier Y on J121 south of orf. Went to another control situation. Returned to this situation. Air carrier Y was 5 southwest of orf. Air carrier X approximately 15 northeast of orf. Ran leaders out to ensure heading was enough. Went to another control situation. Return to this situation. Air carrier Y was 3 northeast of orf and did not appear to have turned toward sby should have been a 020 heading. Air carrier X appeared to be on a track direct orf and not on a 230 heading. Air carrier X was turned to a 180 and air carrier Y was turned to a 330 heading. Aircraft passed with less than minimal separation. Contributing factors were fla traffic were rerted inland due to a missile launch. Other aircraft were rted through the sector due to WX avoidance, which changed the general flow and complexity of the traffic continuous light to moderate chop throughout sector, which added workload to assist pilot's requests for altitude changes and flight information. Sby VOR was notamed out at the time but aircraft were still using it. They were picking up the azimuth only. Alternate procedures were not being applied.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAS LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X FILED SBY J209 ORF J121./. AT FL310, REQUESTED FL350 20 S OF SBY TO GET OUT OF MODERATE CHOP. ACR X TURNED 20 L FOR NBOUND TFC AND CLBED TO FL350. HDOF TAKEN ON ACR Y AT FL330 FILED J121 ORF J209 SBY J79./. RECLRED ACR X TO A 230 HDG FROM APPROX 35 NE OF ORF TO STAY E OF ACR Y ON J121 S OF ORF. WENT TO ANOTHER CTL SITUATION. RETURNED TO THIS SITUATION. ACR Y WAS 5 SW OF ORF. ACR X APPROX 15 NE OF ORF. RAN LEADERS OUT TO ENSURE HDG WAS ENOUGH. WENT TO ANOTHER CTL SITUATION. RETURN TO THIS SITUATION. ACR Y WAS 3 NE OF ORF AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE TURNED TOWARD SBY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 020 HDG. ACR X APPEARED TO BE ON A TRACK DIRECT ORF AND NOT ON A 230 HDG. ACR X WAS TURNED TO A 180 AND ACR Y WAS TURNED TO A 330 HDG. ACFT PASSED WITH LESS THAN MINIMAL SEPARATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FLA TFC WERE RERTED INLAND DUE TO A MISSILE LAUNCH. OTHER ACFT WERE RTED THROUGH THE SECTOR DUE TO WX AVOIDANCE, WHICH CHANGED THE GENERAL FLOW AND COMPLEXITY OF THE TFC CONTINUOUS LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP THROUGHOUT SECTOR, WHICH ADDED WORKLOAD TO ASSIST PLT'S REQUESTS FOR ALT CHANGES AND FLT INFO. SBY VOR WAS NOTAMED OUT AT THE TIME BUT ACFT WERE STILL USING IT. THEY WERE PICKING UP THE AZIMUTH ONLY. ALTERNATE PROCS WERE NOT BEING APPLIED.

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.