Narrative:

Tzr tower called for release of king air. Tzr was using runway 4; while we (cmh) were on a runway 10 operation. That means the right downwind to our final has aircraft descending to 4000 ft as they fly wbound nearly directly over tzr. Our releases are always to 3000 ft (LOA) the king air was a north gate departure; but due to final radar's traffic load; I issued an initial southeasterly heading so as to get the aircraft away from the aircraft on final approach into cmh. The king air departed; and contacted me. I radar idented; and advised of wbound traffic at 4000 ft just southeast of him as he was turning to the initial heading. I did not issue higher. I pointed out the king air to final radar; and got approval to climb once past his opposite direction 4000 ft traffic. I was just tunneling the king air; waiting for the aircraft to pass. However; just as the targets were passing side-by-side; conflict alert activated and I discovered the king air climbing! I advised the pilot that he was only issued 3000 ft. The pilot replied; saying he was initially issued 4000 ft! It makes no sense that tzr would have issued anything other than the LOA altitude of 3000 ft. And I certainly had no reason to issue a clearance to anything higher. The final radar controller advised that his pilot had the king air in sight; and the pilot said he was maintaining visual separation from the king air. However; even though I was not working that position; I'm pretty certain this exchange occurred 'after' separation was lost. I asked the supervisor; who was busy working north radar; whether I should have the pilot call our facility. He flatly replied 'no.' I did not question his decision. As to what contributed to this lack of separation; I feel certain that the king air pilot simply busted his assigned altitude. With regards to what contributed to the lack of reporting and follow-up of this 'deal;' I presume that the supervisor probably felt he did not need yet another headache that evening. He was already faced with working short staffed; and was himself filling in on radar. He probably finds himself in the middle; trying to appease upper management (no overtime used) while simultaneously 'keeping his troops happy.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMH CTLR EXPERIENCED LOSS OF SEPARATION AT 4000 FT AS DEP ACFT FAILED TO STOP AT EXPECTED ALT OF 3000 FT AS PER THE LOA.

Narrative: TZR TWR CALLED FOR RELEASE OF KING AIR. TZR WAS USING RWY 4; WHILE WE (CMH) WERE ON A RWY 10 OP. THAT MEANS THE R DOWNWIND TO OUR FINAL HAS ACFT DSNDING TO 4000 FT AS THEY FLY WBOUND NEARLY DIRECTLY OVER TZR. OUR RELEASES ARE ALWAYS TO 3000 FT (LOA) THE KING AIR WAS A NORTH GATE DEP; BUT DUE TO FINAL RADAR'S TFC LOAD; I ISSUED AN INITIAL SOUTHEASTERLY HDG SO AS TO GET THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE ACFT ON FINAL APCH INTO CMH. THE KING AIR DEPARTED; AND CONTACTED ME. I RADAR IDENTED; AND ADVISED OF WBOUND TFC AT 4000 FT JUST SE OF HIM AS HE WAS TURNING TO THE INITIAL HDG. I DID NOT ISSUE HIGHER. I POINTED OUT THE KING AIR TO FINAL RADAR; AND GOT APPROVAL TO CLB ONCE PAST HIS OPPOSITE DIRECTION 4000 FT TFC. I WAS JUST TUNNELING THE KING AIR; WAITING FOR THE ACFT TO PASS. HOWEVER; JUST AS THE TARGETS WERE PASSING SIDE-BY-SIDE; CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND I DISCOVERED THE KING AIR CLBING! I ADVISED THE PLT THAT HE WAS ONLY ISSUED 3000 FT. THE PLT REPLIED; SAYING HE WAS INITIALLY ISSUED 4000 FT! IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT TZR WOULD HAVE ISSUED ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LOA ALT OF 3000 FT. AND I CERTAINLY HAD NO REASON TO ISSUE A CLRNC TO ANYTHING HIGHER. THE FINAL RADAR CTLR ADVISED THAT HIS PLT HAD THE KING AIR IN SIGHT; AND THE PLT SAID HE WAS MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE KING AIR. HOWEVER; EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT WORKING THAT POS; I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THIS EXCHANGE OCCURRED 'AFTER' SEPARATION WAS LOST. I ASKED THE SUPVR; WHO WAS BUSY WORKING N RADAR; WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE THE PLT CALL OUR FACILITY. HE FLATLY REPLIED 'NO.' I DID NOT QUESTION HIS DECISION. AS TO WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS LACK OF SEPARATION; I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THE KING AIR PLT SIMPLY BUSTED HIS ASSIGNED ALT. WITH REGARDS TO WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF RPTING AND FOLLOW-UP OF THIS 'DEAL;' I PRESUME THAT THE SUPVR PROBABLY FELT HE DID NOT NEED YET ANOTHER HEADACHE THAT EVENING. HE WAS ALREADY FACED WITH WORKING SHORT STAFFED; AND WAS HIMSELF FILLING IN ON RADAR. HE PROBABLY FINDS HIMSELF IN THE MIDDLE; TRYING TO APPEASE UPPER MGMNT (NO OVERTIME USED) WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY 'KEEPING HIS TROOPS HAPPY.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.