Narrative:

On the job training was in progress. The loss of sep occurred between large transport Y (msy-mgm-atl) and small transport X (msy-orf). Another aircraft air carrier Z (iah-mei-tlh-etc) was involved also. Air carrier Z was at FL330 sebnd from mei to tlh. Small transport X was northeast bound at FL330 from msy to orf. At initial call up, small transport X was turned 20 degrees left by the trnee (small transport X and air carrier Z were approximately 45 mi apart). There was a very strong wind out of the southwest. Large transport Y was approximately 10 mi southwest of small transport X, stopped at FL310 in anticipation of the left turn of small transport X. Small transport X. And large transport Y were of comparable speeds. When small transport X and air carrier Z were approximately 25 mi apart. The trnee turned small transport X 15 degrees more to the left. At 20 mi apart, small transport X was turned to heading 360 degrees and the C/a activated. I, as the instructor, intervened and descended small transport X to FL310. I turned large transport Y to an immediate 360 degree heading and he complied. When small transport X mode C indicated FL316, I turned him right to a heading of 090 degrees. At not point during this was 5 mi latitude sep lost. I asked small transport X to verify established on an 090 degree heading. He replied negative, he was still in a left turn to a 090 degree heading. At this point he caught large transport Y on the backside with 3.8 mi and 0', both aircraft saw each other. A replay of the tapes shows a right heading to 090 degrees issued which small transport X read back. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the small transport turned the wrong direction and a pilot deviation was filed on that aircraft. Controllers were not charged with an operation error. Also, reporter gave experience level of both controllers involved. Qap determined that had the small transport turned as instructed, sep would never have been lost. Trnee was already checked out on 3 radar sectors and working on the fourth sector when this incident happened. Traffic was not given to either small transport or large transport as had the small transport turned as instructed, he would not have been a traffic factor for the large transport. Both aircraft had the other in sight. Supplemental information from acn 83957: I do not remember exactly what was said, but the other aircraft said, 'this is an emergency situation, it looks like you're vectoring me right into that other aircraft. I'm going to turn behind him before I turn to 90 degrees.' immediately after this, ATC told us to start an immediate turn to 360 degrees. Once the turn was initiated, the first officer saw an aircraft at 2 O'clock that appeared to be at our altitude traveling right to left, approximately 90 degrees to our heading. Seconds after I started the turn, the first officer stated there appeared to be no immediate danger of collision as the other aircraft had started a turn to get behind us. ATC did not at any time give us any traffic advisories and only acknowledged us when the first officer asked if the traffic at our 2 O'clock was ours or not. We queried ATC about the other aircraft's altitude and she responded that it had been cleared from FL330 to FL290. Upon further questioning she affirmed our suspicions that he was at FL310.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT TURNED WRONG DIRECTION AND CREATED LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH LGT AT SAME ALT.

Narrative: ON THE JOB TRNING WAS IN PROGRESS. THE LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED BTWN LGT Y (MSY-MGM-ATL) AND SMT X (MSY-ORF). ANOTHER ACFT ACR Z (IAH-MEI-TLH-ETC) WAS INVOLVED ALSO. ACR Z WAS AT FL330 SEBND FROM MEI TO TLH. SMT X WAS NE BOUND AT FL330 FROM MSY TO ORF. AT INITIAL CALL UP, SMT X WAS TURNED 20 DEGS LEFT BY THE TRNEE (SMT X AND ACR Z WERE APPROX 45 MI APART). THERE WAS A VERY STRONG WIND OUT OF THE SW. LGT Y WAS APPROX 10 MI SW OF SMT X, STOPPED AT FL310 IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LEFT TURN OF SMT X. SMT X. AND LGT Y WERE OF COMPARABLE SPDS. WHEN SMT X AND ACR Z WERE APPROX 25 MI APART. THE TRNEE TURNED SMT X 15 DEGS MORE TO THE LEFT. AT 20 MI APART, SMT X WAS TURNED TO HDG 360 DEGS AND THE C/A ACTIVATED. I, AS THE INSTRUCTOR, INTERVENED AND DSNDED SMT X TO FL310. I TURNED LGT Y TO AN IMMEDIATE 360 DEG HDG AND HE COMPLIED. WHEN SMT X MODE C INDICATED FL316, I TURNED HIM RIGHT TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. AT NOT POINT DURING THIS WAS 5 MI LAT SEP LOST. I ASKED SMT X TO VERIFY ESTABLISHED ON AN 090 DEG HDG. HE REPLIED NEGATIVE, HE WAS STILL IN A LEFT TURN TO A 090 DEG HDG. AT THIS POINT HE CAUGHT LGT Y ON THE BACKSIDE WITH 3.8 MI AND 0', BOTH ACFT SAW EACH OTHER. A REPLAY OF THE TAPES SHOWS A RIGHT HDG TO 090 DEGS ISSUED WHICH SMT X READ BACK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE SMT TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION AND A PLT DEVIATION WAS FILED ON THAT ACFT. CTLRS WERE NOT CHARGED WITH AN OP ERROR. ALSO, RPTR GAVE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF BOTH CTLRS INVOLVED. QAP DETERMINED THAT HAD THE SMT TURNED AS INSTRUCTED, SEP WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN LOST. TRNEE WAS ALREADY CHKED OUT ON 3 RADAR SECTORS AND WORKING ON THE FOURTH SECTOR WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. TFC WAS NOT GIVEN TO EITHER SMT OR LGT AS HAD THE SMT TURNED AS INSTRUCTED, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A TFC FACTOR FOR THE LGT. BOTH ACFT HAD THE OTHER IN SIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 83957: I DO NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID, BUT THE OTHER ACFT SAID, 'THIS IS AN EMER SITUATION, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE VECTORING ME RIGHT INTO THAT OTHER ACFT. I'M GOING TO TURN BEHIND HIM BEFORE I TURN TO 90 DEGS.' IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS, ATC TOLD US TO START AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 360 DEGS. ONCE THE TURN WAS INITIATED, THE F/O SAW AN ACFT AT 2 O'CLOCK THAT APPEARED TO BE AT OUR ALT TRAVELING RIGHT TO LEFT, APPROX 90 DEGS TO OUR HDG. SECS AFTER I STARTED THE TURN, THE F/O STATED THERE APPEARED TO BE NO IMMEDIATE DANGER OF COLLISION AS THE OTHER ACFT HAD STARTED A TURN TO GET BEHIND US. ATC DID NOT AT ANY TIME GIVE US ANY TFC ADVISORIES AND ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED US WHEN THE F/O ASKED IF THE TFC AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK WAS OURS OR NOT. WE QUERIED ATC ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT'S ALT AND SHE RESPONDED THAT IT HAD BEEN CLRED FROM FL330 TO FL290. UPON FURTHER QUESTIONING SHE AFFIRMED OUR SUSPICIONS THAT HE WAS AT FL310.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.