Cpr X descent through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from aircraft Y. System er...

Attributes
ACN	254341
Time
Date	199310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	254341
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

During peak arrival traffic inbound to the newark, teterboro, morristown, caldwell area, I descended cpr X from 5000 to 4000, subsequently switched communication and control to the next arrival position. The aircraft advised the next controller that there was an aircraft Y at close proximity and asked if the controller was working him. The reason there was an airplane there and on traffic was exchanged because I did not observe any traffic. Apparently, the transponder failed and the radar 'tag' had dropped.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X DSCNT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACFT Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: DURING PEAK ARR TFC INBOUND TO THE NEWARK, TETERBORO, MORRISTOWN, CALDWELL AREA, I DSNDED CPR X FROM 5000 TO 4000, SUBSEQUENTLY SWITCHED COM AND CTL TO THE NEXT ARR POS. THE ACFT ADVISED THE NEXT CTLR THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT Y AT CLOSE PROX AND ASKED IF THE CTLR WAS WORKING HIM. THE REASON THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE THERE AND ON TFC WAS EXCHANGED BECAUSE I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY TFC. APPARENTLY, THE XPONDER FAILED AND THE RADAR 'TAG' HAD DROPPED.

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.

Cpr X descent through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from aircraft Y. System error.