Narrative:

Saberliner aircraft level at FL390 wbound. Learjet aircraft level at FL370 eastbound. Aircraft are 10 mi apart. Saberliner asks for FL240. I read him his traffic and tell him lower when clear of traffic. I then ask him if he has a problem. Saberliner says something about smoke. I tell saberliner I can have lower for him in 1 1/2 mins and tell him if he can't wait for lower, to advise and I will issue turns. No response. I noticed the saberliner leave assigned altitude in a descent mode. I continue issuing traffic to both aircraft. I observed the saberliner at FL272 while the lear is at FL370, distance, zero mi. The saberliner then climbs back to FL390. I have him confirm he is level at FL390, then I issue him lower because now, I have the required 5 mi separation. All of this scenario happens quickly -- in about 10-20 seconds. Supplemental information from acn 277100: the PNF requested a lower altitude, stating that we were experiencing a problem with smoke in cockpit. We were immediately granted FL370, set the alerter, and initiated descent. We still had not determined the origin of the noise and odor, and I told PNF to explain to ATC the situation, and obtain clearance to FL280 or below. ATC advised that FL330 would be available in about 1.5 mins. Suddenly, ATC asked us if we were descending out of FL390, as there was traffic at 12 O'clock, and 10 mi, at FL370. The tone of the controller was strained, and sensing another complication, I immediately initiated a pull-up to FL390, and reported level 390. Supplemental information from acn 277101: upon notifying ATC of our problem, we were asked if we were declaring an emergency, which we declined. Moments later we were cleared to FL370 and told to expect lower shortly. Upon initiating descent to FL370, the controller asked us to confirm we were still level at FL390, and that we had opposite direction traffic at 12 O'clock FL370. We immediately pulled up to climb back to FL390. Supplemental information from acn 277242: at approximately XX00 local, cpr a, a N265 wbound at FL390, advised radar controller of need to descend to FL240. I was associate radar controller at the time. Radar controller informed cpr B that there was traffic eastbound at 12 O'clock and 10 mi of FL370 (cpr B, a LR35). Radar controller asked cpr a if there was a problem. Pilot said 'we may have a smoke problem.' controller said she could turn cpr a to get him lower, quicker. Pilot did not respond. Aircraft began descending. Mode C read FL386, FL378, FL373 as the 2 targets appeared to merge. During the descent radar controller numerous times announced traffic to cpr B radar controller also informed cpr B of the deviating aircraft descending into and cpr a corrected his altitude and climbed back to FL390. The pilot then stated he had smoke in cockpit, and radar controller cleared aircraft to FL330.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV BTWN CPR A AND CPR B.

Narrative: SABERLINER ACFT LEVEL AT FL390 WBOUND. LEARJET ACFT LEVEL AT FL370 EBOUND. ACFT ARE 10 MI APART. SABERLINER ASKS FOR FL240. I READ HIM HIS TFC AND TELL HIM LOWER WHEN CLR OF TFC. I THEN ASK HIM IF HE HAS A PROB. SABERLINER SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT SMOKE. I TELL SABERLINER I CAN HAVE LOWER FOR HIM IN 1 1/2 MINS AND TELL HIM IF HE CAN'T WAIT FOR LOWER, TO ADVISE AND I WILL ISSUE TURNS. NO RESPONSE. I NOTICED THE SABERLINER LEAVE ASSIGNED ALT IN A DSCNT MODE. I CONTINUE ISSUING TFC TO BOTH ACFT. I OBSERVED THE SABERLINER AT FL272 WHILE THE LEAR IS AT FL370, DISTANCE, ZERO MI. THE SABERLINER THEN CLBS BACK TO FL390. I HAVE HIM CONFIRM HE IS LEVEL AT FL390, THEN I ISSUE HIM LOWER BECAUSE NOW, I HAVE THE REQUIRED 5 MI SEPARATION. ALL OF THIS SCENARIO HAPPENS QUICKLY -- IN ABOUT 10-20 SECONDS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277100: THE PNF REQUESTED A LOWER ALT, STATING THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING A PROB WITH SMOKE IN COCKPIT. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FL370, SET THE ALERTER, AND INITIATED DSCNT. WE STILL HAD NOT DETERMINED THE ORIGIN OF THE NOISE AND ODOR, AND I TOLD PNF TO EXPLAIN TO ATC THE SIT, AND OBTAIN CLRNC TO FL280 OR BELOW. ATC ADVISED THAT FL330 WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN ABOUT 1.5 MINS. SUDDENLY, ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF FL390, AS THERE WAS TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, AND 10 MI, AT FL370. THE TONE OF THE CTLR WAS STRAINED, AND SENSING ANOTHER COMPLICATION, I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A PULL-UP TO FL390, AND RPTED LEVEL 390. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277101: UPON NOTIFYING ATC OF OUR PROB, WE WERE ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER, WHICH WE DECLINED. MOMENTS LATER WE WERE CLRED TO FL370 AND TOLD TO EXPECT LOWER SHORTLY. UPON INITIATING DSCNT TO FL370, THE CTLR ASKED US TO CONFIRM WE WERE STILL LEVEL AT FL390, AND THAT WE HAD OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK FL370. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP TO CLB BACK TO FL390. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277242: AT APPROX XX00 LCL, CPR A, A N265 WBOUND AT FL390, ADVISED RADAR CTLR OF NEED TO DSND TO FL240. I WAS ASSOCIATE RADAR CTLR AT THE TIME. RADAR CTLR INFORMED CPR B THAT THERE WAS TFC EBOUND AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI OF FL370 (CPR B, A LR35). RADAR CTLR ASKED CPR A IF THERE WAS A PROB. PLT SAID 'WE MAY HAVE A SMOKE PROB.' CTLR SAID SHE COULD TURN CPR A TO GET HIM LOWER, QUICKER. PLT DID NOT RESPOND. ACFT BEGAN DSNDING. MODE C READ FL386, FL378, FL373 AS THE 2 TARGETS APPEARED TO MERGE. DURING THE DSCNT RADAR CTLR NUMEROUS TIMES ANNOUNCED TFC TO CPR B RADAR CTLR ALSO INFORMED CPR B OF THE DEVIATING ACFT DSNDING INTO AND CPR A CORRECTED HIS ALT AND CLBED BACK TO FL390. THE PLT THEN STATED HE HAD SMOKE IN COCKPIT, AND RADAR CTLR CLRED ACFT TO FL330.

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.