Air carrier Y uncoord climb to occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier ...

Attributes
ACN	294578
Time
Date	199501
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : csn
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	294578
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

I handed off air carrier X at our prescribed altitude of 160 to ZDC. They then climbed X to 170. X left my airspace level at '17000 ft.' I had the next air carrier Y on the same route requesting a lower en route altitude of 16000 ft. I 'laddered' Y up and was awaiting his final altitude to be vacated by the previous (at 170) the handoff was accepted close to our boundary. I made a different transmission to a separate aircraft whose final altitude is '17000 ft' at the handoff point. I then quickly transmitted an altitude assignment and frequency change back to Y due to his proximity problem was, I assigned '17000 ft' to him rather than '16000 ft.' my plan was on track. Except, I issued a final altitude that is prevalent at our exit departure points to ZDC of 17000 ft. The transmission to join another departure route prior to issuance of the wrong altitude to climb to was in my opinion the cause of my mistaken altitude assignment. The ZDC controller missed the incorrect altitude issued by me. The mishap happened approximately 10 mi into the receiving controller airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y UNCOORD CLB TO OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR X. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I HANDED OFF ACR X AT OUR PRESCRIBED ALT OF 160 TO ZDC. THEY THEN CLBED X TO 170. X L MY AIRSPACE LEVEL AT '17000 FT.' I HAD THE NEXT ACR Y ON THE SAME RTE REQUESTING A LOWER ENRTE ALT OF 16000 FT. I 'LADDERED' Y UP AND WAS AWAITING HIS FINAL ALT TO BE VACATED BY THE PREVIOUS (AT 170) THE HDOF WAS ACCEPTED CLOSE TO OUR BOUNDARY. I MADE A DIFFERENT XMISSION TO A SEPARATE ACFT WHOSE FINAL ALT IS '17000 FT' AT THE HDOF POINT. I THEN QUICKLY XMITTED AN ALT ASSIGNMENT AND FREQ CHANGE BACK TO Y DUE TO HIS PROX PROB WAS, I ASSIGNED '17000 FT' TO HIM RATHER THAN '16000 FT.' MY PLAN WAS ON TRACK. EXCEPT, I ISSUED A FINAL ALT THAT IS PREVALENT AT OUR EXIT DEP POINTS TO ZDC OF 17000 FT. THE XMISSION TO JOIN ANOTHER DEP RTE PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE WRONG ALT TO CLB TO WAS IN MY OPINION THE CAUSE OF MY MISTAKEN ALT ASSIGNMENT. THE ZDC CTLR MISSED THE INCORRECT ALT ISSUED BY ME. THE MISHAP HAPPENED APPROX 10 MI INTO THE RECEIVING CTLR AIRSPACE.

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.

Air carrier Y uncoord climb to occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier X. System error.