Narrative:

I was working cyn R58 air carrier X was sbound climbing to FL310. Air carrier Y was northbound direct jfk at FL330. Air carrier X was requesting FL350 in flight plan over orf which requires coordination with R59 controller. Air carrier X had been stopped at FL310 because of opposite direction traffic. To get air carrier X to requested altitude it was necessary to shorten his route to keep him in front of converging traffic under control of R59. Air carrier X was issued direct sby. Air carrier Y data tag was constantly being overlapped by sbound data tags so it was placed on /3 leader length. At this time a point out was made by R19 on an aircraft direct jfk landing boston and I became distraction trying to determine how he would fit with another aircraft landing bos. Air carrier X reported leveling FL310 and requested higher. I told him to stand by and checked with R59 on air carrier X's converging sbound traffic. I then issued a climb to FL350 to air carrier X. The conflict alert activated and I realized loss of separation would occur. A turn was issued to air carrier X to turn right and to air carrier Y to fly heading 320 degree. Air carrier Y reported a TCASII RA and said he was descending. I told air carrier Y to maintain FL310. I meant to turn air carrier X left but said right instead of left. I felt pressure to get air carrier X to requested altitude, had I not let air carrier X distraction me when he requested higher and made another traffic search for the traffic I had stopped him for, no loss of separation would have occurred. There is always a great deal of pressure from other controllers and from pilots to get aircraft to requested altitude, prior to this occurring it had been suggested by other controllers to vector aircraft to altitude and with this in mind I was working on higher for air carrier X. Supplemental information from acn 197937. While at cruise FL330, our TCASII alerted us to traffic followed by an immediate command to descend. At approximately the same time ATC instructed us to turn left to a 320 degree (90 degree left turn) captain told ATC we were descending due to a TCASII command. ATC told us roger, maintain FL310. As we accomplished this maneuver our conflict traffic passed by us. The conflict traffic was air carrier X opposite direction climbing to FL350 as instructed by ATC. We later learned the controller failed to provide separation. Without the TCASII we probably would not be around to write this report.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLB TO OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. TCASII TA RA DSCNT FROM ASSIGNED ALT. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING CYN R58 ACR X WAS SBOUND CLBING TO FL310. ACR Y WAS NBOUND DIRECT JFK AT FL330. ACR X WAS REQUESTING FL350 IN FLT PLAN OVER ORF WHICH REQUIRES COORD WITH R59 CTLR. ACR X HAD BEEN STOPPED AT FL310 BECAUSE OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. TO GET ACR X TO REQUESTED ALT IT WAS NECESSARY TO SHORTEN HIS RTE TO KEEP HIM IN FRONT OF CONVERGING TFC UNDER CTL OF R59. ACR X WAS ISSUED DIRECT SBY. ACR Y DATA TAG WAS CONSTANTLY BEING OVERLAPPED BY SBOUND DATA TAGS SO IT WAS PLACED ON /3 LEADER LENGTH. AT THIS TIME A POINT OUT WAS MADE BY R19 ON AN ACFT DIRECT JFK LNDG BOSTON AND I BECAME DISTR TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW HE WOULD FIT WITH ANOTHER ACFT LNDG BOS. ACR X RPTED LEVELING FL310 AND REQUESTED HIGHER. I TOLD HIM TO STAND BY AND CHKED WITH R59 ON ACR X'S CONVERGING SBOUND TFC. I THEN ISSUED A CLB TO FL350 TO ACR X. THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND I REALIZED LOSS OF SEPARATION WOULD OCCUR. A TURN WAS ISSUED TO ACR X TO TURN R AND TO ACR Y TO FLY HDG 320 DEG. ACR Y RPTED A TCASII RA AND SAID HE WAS DSNDING. I TOLD ACR Y TO MAINTAIN FL310. I MEANT TO TURN ACR X L BUT SAID R INSTEAD OF L. I FELT PRESSURE TO GET ACR X TO REQUESTED ALT, HAD I NOT LET ACR X DISTR ME WHEN HE REQUESTED HIGHER AND MADE ANOTHER TFC SEARCH FOR THE TFC I HAD STOPPED HIM FOR, NO LOSS OF SEPARATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THERE IS ALWAYS A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE FROM OTHER CTLRS AND FROM PLTS TO GET ACFT TO REQUESTED ALT, PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRING IT HAD BEEN SUGGESTED BY OTHER CTLRS TO VECTOR ACFT TO ALT AND WITH THIS IN MIND I WAS WORKING ON HIGHER FOR ACR X. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 197937. WHILE AT CRUISE FL330, OUR TCASII ALERTED US TO TFC FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE COMMAND TO DSND. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME ATC INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L TO A 320 DEG (90 DEG L TURN) CAPT TOLD ATC WE WERE DSNDING DUE TO A TCASII COMMAND. ATC TOLD US ROGER, MAINTAIN FL310. AS WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS MANEUVER OUR CONFLICT TFC PASSED BY US. THE CONFLICT TFC WAS ACR X OPPOSITE DIRECTION CLBING TO FL350 AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC. WE LATER LEARNED THE CTLR FAILED TO PROVIDE SEPARATION. WITHOUT THE TCASII WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE AROUND TO WRITE THIS RPT.

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.