Air carrier Y had less than standard separation from C-500. System error.

Attributes
ACN	284500
Time
Date	199410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tracon : clt tracon : gso tower : syr
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	284500
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
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 : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

A ZTL sector pointed a C-500 descending out of 20000 ft for 11000 ft out to clt approach. This aircraft would cross the majic arrival into clt's airspace where aircraft are at or descending to 11000 ft over gso's airspace. The C-500 was pointed out to the ZTL arrival sector and switched to gso approach when a handoff was completed. A majic arrival was handed off to clt level at 11000 ft. The C-500 was at approximately 13000 ft 10 mi away on a converging course and still descending. The clt approach controller was given a pointout, secondhand, by a supervisor. The approach controller was under the impression by the way the pointout was given that the C-500 would descend reference majic arrs. The C-500 descended out of 12000 ft approximately 3 mi from clt's boundary. Air carrier Y majic arrival was at the boundary. The approach controller descended and turned the arrival. Separation was lost less than 1 mi from the boundary. The pointout procedures broke down between the 2 center sectors. The center sector where the C-500 originated told the majic arrival sector that the C-500 would descend to 11000 ft and go to approach. What he should have told him was the aircraft would go to gsp approach. The majic arrival sector thought the C-500 would be talking to clt approach and that clt would separate the 2 by stopping the C-500 at 12000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y HAD LTSS FROM C-500. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: A ZTL SECTOR POINTED A C-500 DSNDING OUT OF 20000 FT FOR 11000 FT OUT TO CLT APCH. THIS ACFT WOULD CROSS THE MAJIC ARR INTO CLT'S AIRSPACE WHERE ACFT ARE AT OR DSNDING TO 11000 FT OVER GSO'S AIRSPACE. THE C-500 WAS POINTED OUT TO THE ZTL ARR SECTOR AND SWITCHED TO GSO APCH WHEN A HDOF WAS COMPLETED. A MAJIC ARR WAS HANDED OFF TO CLT LEVEL AT 11000 FT. THE C-500 WAS AT APPROX 13000 FT 10 MI AWAY ON A CONVERGING COURSE AND STILL DSNDING. THE CLT APCH CTLR WAS GIVEN A POINTOUT, SECONDHAND, BY A SUPVR. THE APCH CTLR WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION BY THE WAY THE POINTOUT WAS GIVEN THAT THE C-500 WOULD DSND REF MAJIC ARRS. THE C-500 DSNDED OUT OF 12000 FT APPROX 3 MI FROM CLT'S BOUNDARY. ACR Y MAJIC ARR WAS AT THE BOUNDARY. THE APCH CTLR DSNDED AND TURNED THE ARR. SEPARATION WAS LOST LESS THAN 1 MI FROM THE BOUNDARY. THE POINTOUT PROCS BROKE DOWN BTWN THE 2 CTR SECTORS. THE CTR SECTOR WHERE THE C-500 ORIGINATED TOLD THE MAJIC ARR SECTOR THAT THE C-500 WOULD DSND TO 11000 FT AND GO TO APCH. WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM WAS THE ACFT WOULD GO TO GSP APCH. THE MAJIC ARR SECTOR THOUGHT THE C-500 WOULD BE TALKING TO CLT APCH AND THAT CLT WOULD SEPARATE THE 2 BY STOPPING THE C-500 AT 12000 FT.

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.