ZOA controller descended an MD80 flight through an altitude occupied by a flight of 2 F18 aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	543977
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hornet (F-18)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 20 controller time certified in position1 : 17
ASRS Report	543977
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Working 2 sectors combined alone. 3 bays of active strips plus 3 separate sections of proposal strips (fat, nlc, R2508). Data block of the F18's was covered by the data block of another flight when the MD80 checked in and was given clearance to descend. No conflict alert.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOA CTLR DSNDED AN MD80 FLT THROUGH AN ALT OCCUPIED BY A FLT OF 2 F18 ACFT.

Narrative: WORKING 2 SECTORS COMBINED ALONE. 3 BAYS OF ACTIVE STRIPS PLUS 3 SEPARATE SECTIONS OF PROPOSAL STRIPS (FAT, NLC, R2508). DATA BLOCK OF THE F18'S WAS COVERED BY THE DATA BLOCK OF ANOTHER FLT WHEN THE MD80 CHKED IN AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO DSND. NO CONFLICT ALERT.

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.