Narrative:

Working an arrival sector at a not particularly busy time; I accepted a verbal handoff on a 7000 ft target west of the boundary with pct. I was advised of aircraft call sign; type; and destination (cdw) and was told that traffic was not on the normal route for destination. I advised pct that if the traffic was concerned about WX that PIREPS consisted of light rain/excellent visibility on the normal route to cdw. When the traffic checked in on frequency I assumed they would be navigating on the normal route because of the PIREPS I had passed to pct. I questioned the pilot about the route and instructed him to turn towards the fix mxe. At this point; 2 things are important: 1) I had not initiated a track on the target; and 2) the aircraft was heading towards adjacent airspace without coordination. At the same time; other personnel were attempting to amend the flight plan via the NAS system so that automatic track acquisition would occur and flight processing would continue to destination. When it was obvious to me that the SR22 was not heading the direction I needed in a timely manner; I issued a heading of 360 degrees to direct the traffic toward my airspace and away from other potential traffic. Concurrently; I had accepted an intrafac handoff on a BE20; not yet on my frequency. The BE20 was being vectored away from potential traffic; by another controller; and towards my airspace to eventually be assigned a 360 degree heading per the flight progress strip that had been passed to me. Subsequently; standard separation was lost when the BE20 was not turned to a 360 degree heading in time to laterally separate from the northbound SR22 at the same altitude (5000 ft).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 5000 WHEN FAILING TO ISSUE A TURN IN TIME TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION; ASSUMING INCORRECT ROUTING.

Narrative: WORKING AN ARR SECTOR AT A NOT PARTICULARLY BUSY TIME; I ACCEPTED A VERBAL HDOF ON A 7000 FT TARGET W OF THE BOUNDARY WITH PCT. I WAS ADVISED OF ACFT CALL SIGN; TYPE; AND DEST (CDW) AND WAS TOLD THAT TFC WAS NOT ON THE NORMAL RTE FOR DEST. I ADVISED PCT THAT IF THE TFC WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WX THAT PIREPS CONSISTED OF LIGHT RAIN/EXCELLENT VISIBILITY ON THE NORMAL RTE TO CDW. WHEN THE TFC CHKED IN ON FREQ I ASSUMED THEY WOULD BE NAVING ON THE NORMAL RTE BECAUSE OF THE PIREPS I HAD PASSED TO PCT. I QUESTIONED THE PLT ABOUT THE RTE AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO TURN TOWARDS THE FIX MXE. AT THIS POINT; 2 THINGS ARE IMPORTANT: 1) I HAD NOT INITIATED A TRACK ON THE TARGET; AND 2) THE ACFT WAS HEADING TOWARDS ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD. AT THE SAME TIME; OTHER PERSONNEL WERE ATTEMPTING TO AMEND THE FLT PLAN VIA THE NAS SYS SO THAT AUTOMATIC TRACK ACQUISITION WOULD OCCUR AND FLT PROCESSING WOULD CONTINUE TO DEST. WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE SR22 WAS NOT HEADING THE DIRECTION I NEEDED IN A TIMELY MANNER; I ISSUED A HDG OF 360 DEGS TO DIRECT THE TFC TOWARD MY AIRSPACE AND AWAY FROM OTHER POTENTIAL TFC. CONCURRENTLY; I HAD ACCEPTED AN INTRAFAC HDOF ON A BE20; NOT YET ON MY FREQ. THE BE20 WAS BEING VECTORED AWAY FROM POTENTIAL TFC; BY ANOTHER CTLR; AND TOWARDS MY AIRSPACE TO EVENTUALLY BE ASSIGNED A 360 DEG HDG PER THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP THAT HAD BEEN PASSED TO ME. SUBSEQUENTLY; STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST WHEN THE BE20 WAS NOT TURNED TO A 360 DEG HDG IN TIME TO LATERALLY SEPARATE FROM THE NBOUND SR22 AT THE SAME ALT (5000 FT).

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.