Narrative:

I was working a moderate/heavy arrival push at phl on south arrival. Air carrier X was an arrival inbound to phl over vcn at 6000 ft. Although this is a route that is accepted by LOA; it is usually used by aircraft that can use the secondary runway; which air carrier X could not. I vectored air carrier X nwbound off of vcn for sequencing behind an arrival over terri. I had issued air carrier Y a nebound heading for sequencing for runway 27R. Initially air carrier Y was descended to 7000 ft. I then later descended air carrier Y to 6000 ft to avoid what I thought was traffic departing phl climbing slowly. The conflict alert activated and I issued immediate turns to both aircraft. Air carrier Y said he saw the air carrier X aircraft and then both aircraft went back to 6000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 743970: on arrival into phl at 6000 ft; we received a TA shortly followed by an RA. The RA instructed us to climb which we did to avoid further conflict. We climbed approximately 800 ft before advising ATC of the situation. At that point in time; the controller's response to us was; 'sorry about that.' at the time the controller that was instructing us seemed to be overwhelmed with the volume of traffic that controller was in charge of at the time. Controller also seemed frustrated with an aircraft that controller was trying to contact that was not responding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 6000 DURING VECTORS FOR SEQUENCING AND EFFORTS TO AVOID A SUSPECTED SLOW CLIMBING DEP ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A MODERATE/HVY ARR PUSH AT PHL ON S ARR. ACR X WAS AN ARR INBOUND TO PHL OVER VCN AT 6000 FT. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A RTE THAT IS ACCEPTED BY LOA; IT IS USUALLY USED BY ACFT THAT CAN USE THE SECONDARY RWY; WHICH ACR X COULD NOT. I VECTORED ACR X NWBOUND OFF OF VCN FOR SEQUENCING BEHIND AN ARR OVER TERRI. I HAD ISSUED ACR Y A NEBOUND HDG FOR SEQUENCING FOR RWY 27R. INITIALLY ACR Y WAS DSNDED TO 7000 FT. I THEN LATER DSNDED ACR Y TO 6000 FT TO AVOID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TFC DEPARTING PHL CLBING SLOWLY. THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND I ISSUED IMMEDIATE TURNS TO BOTH ACFT. ACR Y SAID HE SAW THE ACR X ACFT AND THEN BOTH ACFT WENT BACK TO 6000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 743970: ON ARR INTO PHL AT 6000 FT; WE RECEIVED A TA SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY AN RA. THE RA INSTRUCTED US TO CLB WHICH WE DID TO AVOID FURTHER CONFLICT. WE CLBED APPROX 800 FT BEFORE ADVISING ATC OF THE SITUATION. AT THAT POINT IN TIME; THE CTLR'S RESPONSE TO US WAS; 'SORRY ABOUT THAT.' AT THE TIME THE CTLR THAT WAS INSTRUCTING US SEEMED TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC THAT CTLR WAS IN CHARGE OF AT THE TIME. CTLR ALSO SEEMED FRUSTRATED WITH AN ACFT THAT CTLR WAS TRYING TO CONTACT THAT WAS NOT RESPONDING.

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.