Narrative:

Corp X was being controled northbound by orf high sector. Air carrier Y was southbound at FL280 being worked by sby high. Orf high began descending corp X from FL310 to 270. When the descending X appeared on my scope at sby high, I immediately turned air carrier Y to the southeast and issued traffic. I informed the orf high controller who turned corp X to the northwest and had X expedite descent. The aircraft passed approximately 2 1/2 mi apart with 600' altitude sep. This problem has been intensified with the implementation of east coast plan. This was previously one sector. Now it's split into two which was necessary since the traffic nearly doubled. Compounding the problem is the fact that most of the traffic in transitioning up or down near the center of the old orf high sector, now the boundary between the 2 sectors. Also the staffing was less than adequate. At the time of the incident I had no d-side and orf high had a non radar qualified d-side. There were 11 or 12 radar qualified controllers for 8 radar sectors and most of us worked at least 1 or 2 stretches during the day in excess of 2 hours during heavy traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave yrs in ATC. Described roughly the boundary between these 2 sectors and said aircraft passed at about the boundary. Orf high should have coordinated descent of corp X. After avoidance action by both controllers the aircraft passed 3.5 mi latitude and had 500' vertical sep. Traffic vol and congestion were factors. Both sectors busy. Aircraft were opp direction on same arwy. When they have to hold in these sectors they have to penetrate other controller airspace or go into warning areas off shore. Staffing and sector manning is not getting any better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STNADARD SEPARATION BETWEEN CORP JET AND ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: CORP X WAS BEING CTLED NBOUND BY ORF HIGH SECTOR. ACR Y WAS SBND AT FL280 BEING WORKED BY SBY HIGH. ORF HIGH BEGAN DSNDING CORP X FROM FL310 TO 270. WHEN THE DSNDING X APPEARED ON MY SCOPE AT SBY HIGH, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ACR Y TO THE SE AND ISSUED TFC. I INFORMED THE ORF HIGH CTLR WHO TURNED CORP X TO THE NW AND HAD X EXPEDITE DSCNT. THE ACFT PASSED APPROX 2 1/2 MI APART WITH 600' ALT SEP. THIS PROB HAS BEEN INTENSIFIED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E COAST PLAN. THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY ONE SECTOR. NOW IT'S SPLIT INTO TWO WHICH WAS NECESSARY SINCE THE TFC NEARLY DOUBLED. COMPOUNDING THE PROB IS THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE TFC IN TRANSITIONING UP OR DOWN NEAR THE CENTER OF THE OLD ORF HIGH SECTOR, NOW THE BOUNDARY BTWN THE 2 SECTORS. ALSO THE STAFFING WAS LESS THAN ADEQUATE. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I HAD NO D-SIDE AND ORF HIGH HAD A NON RADAR QUALIFIED D-SIDE. THERE WERE 11 OR 12 RADAR QUALIFIED CTLRS FOR 8 RADAR SECTORS AND MOST OF US WORKED AT LEAST 1 OR 2 STRETCHES DURING THE DAY IN EXCESS OF 2 HRS DURING HEAVY TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR GAVE YRS IN ATC. DESCRIBED ROUGHLY THE BOUNDARY BTWN THESE 2 SECTORS AND SAID ACFT PASSED AT ABOUT THE BOUNDARY. ORF HIGH SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED DSCNT OF CORP X. AFTER AVOIDANCE ACTION BY BOTH CTLRS THE ACFT PASSED 3.5 MI LAT AND HAD 500' VERT SEP. TFC VOL AND CONGESTION WERE FACTORS. BOTH SECTORS BUSY. ACFT WERE OPP DIRECTION ON SAME ARWY. WHEN THEY HAVE TO HOLD IN THESE SECTORS THEY HAVE TO PENETRATE OTHER CTLR AIRSPACE OR GO INTO WARNING AREAS OFF SHORE. STAFFING AND SECTOR MANNING IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER.

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.