BE33 descending to pvd from 7000 ft was overtaken by an MD80 resulting in a loss of separation.

Attributes
ACN	591345
Time
Date	200308
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pvd.airport
State Reference	RI
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pvd.tracon tower : mmgl.tower
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	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pvd.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	591345
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

2 radar sectors combined -- busy traffic -- required 50 mi scan. Distrs in room. Aircraft (BE33) descended from 7000-3000 ft slower than normal. Other tasks diverted my attention and aircraft came within 1.7 mi of MD80 at same altitude. Aircraft given instructions to descend immediately twice and still just hung at 5000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33 DSNDING TO PVD FROM 7000 FT WAS OVERTAKEN BY AN MD80 RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: 2 RADAR SECTORS COMBINED -- BUSY TFC -- REQUIRED 50 MI SCAN. DISTRS IN ROOM. ACFT (BE33) DSNDED FROM 7000-3000 FT SLOWER THAN NORMAL. OTHER TASKS DIVERTED MY ATTN AND ACFT CAME WITHIN 1.7 MI OF MD80 AT SAME ALT. ACFT GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TWICE AND STILL JUST HUNG AT 5000 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.