Narrative:

Aircraft air carrier X; bwi-mol-iah -- more westerly route. Air carrier Y; bwi-gve-tpa -- more southerly route. Air carrier X was ahead of air carrier Y departing from bwi. Winds at FL230 approximately 265 degrees; 100+ KTS. I was working the montebello departure sector (R60) accepting handoffs from potomac approach (pct) for transition into high altitude sectors. I accepted the handoffs on air carrier X and air carrier Y after initial departure vectors from pct. Air carrier X's route would be more westerly and air carrier Y's route would be more southerly. Both aircraft reached FL230 prior to my airspace boundary at which time I can climb them into my airspace. Pct is required to establish required center separation of at least 5+ mi (constant or increasing) or 1000 ft vertically. Once pct put air carrier X onto their mol transition route; air carrier X would turn into wind more than air carrier Y who was still more sbound; with much less headwind. I feel that pct approach controller didn't anticipate this headwind for air carrier X and this allowed air carrier Y to close in on air carrier X causing a loss of separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT AT FL230 WHEN 2 ACFT; RECEIVED FROM PCT; LOST SEPARATION; OPERROR RECORDED FOR PCT TRACON.

Narrative: ACFT ACR X; BWI-MOL-IAH -- MORE WESTERLY RTE. ACR Y; BWI-GVE-TPA -- MORE SOUTHERLY RTE. ACR X WAS AHEAD OF ACR Y DEPARTING FROM BWI. WINDS AT FL230 APPROX 265 DEGS; 100+ KTS. I WAS WORKING THE MONTEBELLO DEP SECTOR (R60) ACCEPTING HDOFS FROM POTOMAC APCH (PCT) FOR TRANSITION INTO HIGH ALT SECTORS. I ACCEPTED THE HDOFS ON ACR X AND ACR Y AFTER INITIAL DEP VECTORS FROM PCT. ACR X'S RTE WOULD BE MORE WESTERLY AND ACR Y'S RTE WOULD BE MORE SOUTHERLY. BOTH ACFT REACHED FL230 PRIOR TO MY AIRSPACE BOUNDARY AT WHICH TIME I CAN CLB THEM INTO MY AIRSPACE. PCT IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH REQUIRED CTR SEPARATION OF AT LEAST 5+ MI (CONSTANT OR INCREASING) OR 1000 FT VERTLY. ONCE PCT PUT ACR X ONTO THEIR MOL TRANSITION RTE; ACR X WOULD TURN INTO WIND MORE THAN ACR Y WHO WAS STILL MORE SBOUND; WITH MUCH LESS HEADWIND. I FEEL THAT PCT APCH CTLR DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THIS HEADWIND FOR ACR X AND THIS ALLOWED ACR Y TO CLOSE IN ON ACR X CAUSING A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

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.