Narrative:

I was working ZSE sector 6, radar position. I was assisted by an fpl d-side. IFR traffic was moderate, VFR traffic moderate to heavy. Air carrier Y, a DH8, was sbound, south of pdx, level at 17000 ft, en route to eug. I took a handoff from pdx on air carrier X, 10 mi west of pdx, wbound turning sbound. When air carrier X checked on, I climbed him to FL230, assuming he was sbound to sfo. I then returned to helping a lost VFR aircraft, and a VFR request on the coast. Also, issued a pop-up IFR request. I first saw the loss of separation as air carrier X left 16200 ft, climbing about 2 3/4 mi in front of the DH8. He was heading 130 degrees to go to lax, not 180 degrees for sfo. I called traffic to the DH8, who saw air carrier X when it was leaving 17600 ft. I then instructed him to maintain visual separation, of course, too late to prevent a system error. Cause of error: 1) my shortcut of not 'reading the strip' of flight plan information, trying to save time during a busy period. 2) too much VFR traffic, once again my fault. Beware of anything that makes one less than 100% for the IFR's. Additional factors: previously, all company flts in this sector were sfo aircraft. Lax traffic went to an adjacent sector due to IFR preferred routing. These aircraft are now on this new routing due to national route program (nrp). More consideration should be given to putting more aircraft on an unusual route into a sector already acknowledged as our center's busiest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CTR CTLR ACCEPTED A HDOF ON A DEPARTING B737 AND INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE HDG SBOUND. THE CTLR THEN ISSUED A CLB TO THE B737 THROUGH THE ALT OF A SBOUND DH8 COMMUTER ACFT. LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED WHEN THE B737 TURNED EBOUND TOWARDS THE DH8.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ZSE SECTOR 6, RADAR POS. I WAS ASSISTED BY AN FPL D-SIDE. IFR TFC WAS MODERATE, VFR TFC MODERATE TO HVY. ACR Y, A DH8, WAS SBOUND, S OF PDX, LEVEL AT 17000 FT, ENRTE TO EUG. I TOOK A HDOF FROM PDX ON ACR X, 10 MI W OF PDX, WBOUND TURNING SBOUND. WHEN ACR X CHKED ON, I CLBED HIM TO FL230, ASSUMING HE WAS SBOUND TO SFO. I THEN RETURNED TO HELPING A LOST VFR ACFT, AND A VFR REQUEST ON THE COAST. ALSO, ISSUED A POP-UP IFR REQUEST. I FIRST SAW THE LOSS OF SEPARATION AS ACR X LEFT 16200 FT, CLBING ABOUT 2 3/4 MI IN FRONT OF THE DH8. HE WAS HDG 130 DEGS TO GO TO LAX, NOT 180 DEGS FOR SFO. I CALLED TFC TO THE DH8, WHO SAW ACR X WHEN IT WAS LEAVING 17600 FT. I THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, OF COURSE, TOO LATE TO PREVENT A SYS ERROR. CAUSE OF ERROR: 1) MY SHORTCUT OF NOT 'READING THE STRIP' OF FLT PLAN INFO, TRYING TO SAVE TIME DURING A BUSY PERIOD. 2) TOO MUCH VFR TFC, ONCE AGAIN MY FAULT. BEWARE OF ANYTHING THAT MAKES ONE LESS THAN 100% FOR THE IFR'S. ADDITIONAL FACTORS: PREVIOUSLY, ALL COMPANY FLTS IN THIS SECTOR WERE SFO ACFT. LAX TFC WENT TO AN ADJACENT SECTOR DUE TO IFR PREFERRED ROUTING. THESE ACFT ARE NOW ON THIS NEW ROUTING DUE TO NATIONAL RTE PROGRAM (NRP). MORE CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PUTTING MORE ACFT ON AN UNUSUAL RTE INTO A SECTOR ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED AS OUR CTR'S BUSIEST.

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.