Narrative:

While working the dtw east departure position I was advised by the area supervisor that he approved an aircraft to operate approximately 6-7 mi northeast of dtw. The aircraft was to be in this area approximately 10 mins to photograph the intersection of interstate 94 and the southfield freeway. The aircraft was supposed to finish this operation prior to the noon departure rush. The aircraft, small aircraft X, departed dtw and was assigned an altitude of 3500' the tower was advised to restrict all east departures to 3000'. The normal standard instrument departure (SID) the metropolitan 6 departure is climb and maintain 5000'. Because of past problems with flight crews climbing to 6000' instead of 5000', I always restate maintain 5000'. Traffic started to build and air carrier Y departed. By error, I instructed air carrier Y to climb and maintain 5000'. I issued the traffic at 12 O'clock and 5 mi at 3500' and turned air carrier Y to a 090 degree heading. Believing that air carrier Y was restr to 3000', I continued to work my other traffic. It wasn't until the C/a sounded that I realized air carrier Y was climbing above 3000'. Air carrier Y passed approximately 1 mi south of aircraft X at approximately 3800'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN TCA BETWEEN VFR PHOTO ACFT AND IFR ACR DEP. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE DTW E DEP POS I WAS ADVISED BY THE AREA SUPVR THAT HE APPROVED AN ACFT TO OPERATE APPROX 6-7 MI NE OF DTW. THE ACFT WAS TO BE IN THIS AREA APPROX 10 MINS TO PHOTOGRAPH THE INTXN OF INTERSTATE 94 AND THE SOUTHFIELD FREEWAY. THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO FINISH THIS OPERATION PRIOR TO THE NOON DEP RUSH. THE ACFT, SMA X, DEPARTED DTW AND WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 3500' THE TWR WAS ADVISED TO RESTRICT ALL E DEPS TO 3000'. THE NORMAL STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEP (SID) THE METRO 6 DEP IS CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000'. BECAUSE OF PAST PROBS WITH FLT CREWS CLBING TO 6000' INSTEAD OF 5000', I ALWAYS RESTATE MAINTAIN 5000'. TFC STARTED TO BUILD AND ACR Y DEPARTED. BY ERROR, I INSTRUCTED ACR Y TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000'. I ISSUED THE TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI AT 3500' AND TURNED ACR Y TO A 090 DEG HDG. BELIEVING THAT ACR Y WAS RESTR TO 3000', I CONTINUED TO WORK MY OTHER TFC. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE C/A SOUNDED THAT I REALIZED ACR Y WAS CLBING ABOVE 3000'. ACR Y PASSED APPROX 1 MI S OF ACFT X AT APPROX 3800'.

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.