Narrative:

Air carrier X; B734; inbound on STAR from the northwest descending to 5000 ft. Air carrier Y B742/H climbing to FL200 on SID (heading 300 degrees). The B742 needed to be turned eastbound; but I delayed turning him because of his slow climb rate and surrounding terrain. During the time when his altitude would have permitted him to turn eastbound; I became distraction with a VFR popup and interphone coordination with zan regarding military recovery rtes. When my attention returned to the air carrier X and air carrier Y aircraft; they were approximately 7 mi and 2000 vertical ft. I issued turns (air carrier X turn right heading 190 degrees; and air carrier Y turn right heading 090 degrees) and new altitudes (air carrier X 6000 ft and air carrier Y 5000 ft) to both aircraft; I also issued traffic to both aircraft. Air carrier X was not able to stop his descent at 6000 ft; but reported traffic in sight prior to vertical separation being lost (air carrier X descended to 5600 ft then returned to 6000 ft). Air carrier Y also reported traffic in sight. Both aircraft were advised to maintain visual separation. After lateral and vertical separation was restored; both aircraft reported that they had received and responded to RA alerts. Closest proximity was approximately 600 ft vertical and 2.5 mi laterally. I believe that the problem was caused by my not ensuring separation by either turning the B742/H away from the inbound STAR. Even if he wasn't able to proceed on course due to terrain; a partial turn to the north or northeast would have prevented this occurrence. A future recurrence on my part could be prevented by rescanning my traffic for potential conflicts prior to answering the interphone and giving preliminary turns away from arrival corridors to slow climbing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR EXPERIENCED CONFLICT EVENT AT 5500 WHEN FAILING TO ISSUE TIMELY CORRECTIVE TURNS TO ARR/DEP ACFT.

Narrative: ACR X; B734; INBOUND ON STAR FROM THE NW DSNDING TO 5000 FT. ACR Y B742/H CLBING TO FL200 ON SID (HDG 300 DEGS). THE B742 NEEDED TO BE TURNED EBOUND; BUT I DELAYED TURNING HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SLOW CLB RATE AND SURROUNDING TERRAIN. DURING THE TIME WHEN HIS ALT WOULD HAVE PERMITTED HIM TO TURN EBOUND; I BECAME DISTR WITH A VFR POPUP AND INTERPHONE COORD WITH ZAN REGARDING MIL RECOVERY RTES. WHEN MY ATTN RETURNED TO THE ACR X AND ACR Y ACFT; THEY WERE APPROX 7 MI AND 2000 VERT FT. I ISSUED TURNS (ACR X TURN R HDG 190 DEGS; AND ACR Y TURN R HDG 090 DEGS) AND NEW ALTS (ACR X 6000 FT AND ACR Y 5000 FT) TO BOTH ACFT; I ALSO ISSUED TFC TO BOTH ACFT. ACR X WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP HIS DSCNT AT 6000 FT; BUT RPTED TFC IN SIGHT PRIOR TO VERT SEPARATION BEING LOST (ACR X DSNDED TO 5600 FT THEN RETURNED TO 6000 FT). ACR Y ALSO RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. BOTH ACFT WERE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. AFTER LATERAL AND VERT SEPARATION WAS RESTORED; BOTH ACFT RPTED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED AND RESPONDED TO RA ALERTS. CLOSEST PROX WAS APPROX 600 FT VERT AND 2.5 MI LATERALLY. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY MY NOT ENSURING SEPARATION BY EITHER TURNING THE B742/H AWAY FROM THE INBOUND STAR. EVEN IF HE WASN'T ABLE TO PROCEED ON COURSE DUE TO TERRAIN; A PARTIAL TURN TO THE N OR NE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. A FUTURE RECURRENCE ON MY PART COULD BE PREVENTED BY RESCANNING MY TFC FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS PRIOR TO ANSWERING THE INTERPHONE AND GIVING PRELIMINARY TURNS AWAY FROM ARR CORRIDORS TO SLOW CLBING ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.