Narrative:

I was working radar position R86 and R65 at new york ARTCC. At approximately XX30Z I was working an heavy transport flight eastbound from jfk, the flight was climbing to FL550 B600. I was also working a gulstream, G4, flying from ack lacks flann A523 to destination. When the aircraft were approximately 100 mi apart I observed that both aircraft were at FL430. I believed that the aircraft would cross in the vicinity of lacks intersection and that I would have sufficient altitude separation. I was involved with several complex sits with other aircraft. When I again looked at this situation I had approximately 60 mi between the aircraft with the heavy transport climbing out of FL440. I asked if the heavy transport would be out of FL450 within the next 40 mi. He said 'yes.' again, I was distracted with another situation when I again looked at the concord the flight was at FL443 and approximately 25 mi from the G4. I again asked the flight if he would be out of FL450. At this time he stated that he had encountered a temperature inversion and was not able to climb. The heavy transport pilot went into some detail about the temperature inversion and I was unable to broadcast on the frequency to descend the G4. I had a halo on the G4 and it was obvious now that the targets were going to merge. When the heavy transport finished I immediately descended the G4 and called traffic to the flight. As the heavy transport entered the halo he was showing FL443 I asked the G4 to confirm out of FL420 and he concurred. The pilot of the G4 then stated that he had just flown through the sonic boom of the heavy transport and that it had been a very unpleasant situation to be in. With the speeds involved and the rates of climb the radar snitch did not activate. However, I believe that the aircraft passed within 1400 ft of each other. The heavy transport was accelerating to mach 2 at the time. This was the first time that I ever encountered a situation where the heavy transport was unable to continue his climb. Normally the heavy transport is out of FL470 at the point where these aircraft passed. Although I idented the situation early I did not take positive control of the situation to ensure separation of the aircraft. I had several options available from stopping the G4 at a lower altitude initially or vectoring the aircraft to place the heavy transport behind the G4. Although my experience had been that the heavy transport would be clear of the altitude in sufficient time, this was not the case and I learned a valuable lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HVT CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM G4. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING RADAR POS R86 AND R65 AT NEW YORK ARTCC. AT APPROX XX30Z I WAS WORKING AN HVT FLT EBOUND FROM JFK, THE FLT WAS CLBING TO FL550 B600. I WAS ALSO WORKING A GULSTREAM, G4, FLYING FROM ACK LACKS FLANN A523 TO DEST. WHEN THE ACFT WERE APPROX 100 MI APART I OBSERVED THAT BOTH ACFT WERE AT FL430. I BELIEVED THAT THE ACFT WOULD CROSS IN THE VICINITY OF LACKS INTXN AND THAT I WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT ALT SEPARATION. I WAS INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL COMPLEX SITS WITH OTHER ACFT. WHEN I AGAIN LOOKED AT THIS SIT I HAD APPROX 60 MI BTWN THE ACFT WITH THE HVT CLBING OUT OF FL440. I ASKED IF THE HVT WOULD BE OUT OF FL450 WITHIN THE NEXT 40 MI. HE SAID 'YES.' AGAIN, I WAS DISTRACTED WITH ANOTHER SIT WHEN I AGAIN LOOKED AT THE CONCORD THE FLT WAS AT FL443 AND APPROX 25 MI FROM THE G4. I AGAIN ASKED THE FLT IF HE WOULD BE OUT OF FL450. AT THIS TIME HE STATED THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED A TEMP INVERSION AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CLB. THE HVT PLT WENT INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT THE TEMP INVERSION AND I WAS UNABLE TO BROADCAST ON THE FREQ TO DSND THE G4. I HAD A HALO ON THE G4 AND IT WAS OBVIOUS NOW THAT THE TARGETS WERE GOING TO MERGE. WHEN THE HVT FINISHED I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED THE G4 AND CALLED TFC TO THE FLT. AS THE HVT ENTERED THE HALO HE WAS SHOWING FL443 I ASKED THE G4 TO CONFIRM OUT OF FL420 AND HE CONCURRED. THE PLT OF THE G4 THEN STATED THAT HE HAD JUST FLOWN THROUGH THE SONIC BOOM OF THE HVT AND THAT IT HAD BEEN A VERY UNPLEASANT SIT TO BE IN. WITH THE SPDS INVOLVED AND THE RATES OF CLB THE RADAR SNITCH DID NOT ACTIVATE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THE ACFT PASSED WITHIN 1400 FT OF EACH OTHER. THE HVT WAS ACCELERATING TO MACH 2 AT THE TIME. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER ENCOUNTERED A SIT WHERE THE HVT WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE HIS CLB. NORMALLY THE HVT IS OUT OF FL470 AT THE POINT WHERE THESE ACFT PASSED. ALTHOUGH I IDENTED THE SIT EARLY I DID NOT TAKE POSITIVE CTL OF THE SIT TO ENSURE SEPARATION OF THE ACFT. I HAD SEVERAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE FROM STOPPING THE G4 AT A LOWER ALT INITIALLY OR VECTORING THE ACFT TO PLACE THE HVT BEHIND THE G4. ALTHOUGH MY EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN THAT THE HVT WOULD BE CLR OF THE ALT IN SUFFICIENT TIME, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON.

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.