Narrative:

At sector 11, I observed 2 tracked targets. One was medium large transport X inbound from the south over pxn V301 descending for oak. The other was a flight of 2 mlt's Y wbound over the pxn (panoche) VOR at FL220 B230. Medium large transport X was descending thru FL240 just north of pxn when standard center sep was lost vertical 500', lateral approximately 3 mi. A 'J circle' that denotes 5 mi lateral sep surrounded the military flight at FL229 and medium large transport X leaving FL234 was clearly within the circle. The conflict alert for reasons unknown to me, but what I believe to be a programming limitation, did not activate, which in turn did not activate the 'edp' processing. This error was also observed by an area supervisor, and reported to the area manager. I was told no operation error investigation would take place because the 'snitch' was not activated. This error occurred because the military data block was not present on the second 11 scope, although it was within the confines of the second 11 airspace. A coordination mixup between second 11 and second 18 caused this error. Due to pressure to keep operation errors down (ZOA has had several already in 1988), apparently the data (ntap, etc.) is not being examined and will probably not be saved by the time you get this report. As long as incident reporting is punitive, this type occurrence will probably continue. As a result positive steps to prevent a similar type occurrence will not be examined or made available to all controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR MLG DESCENDING AND A FLT OF 2 MLT'S CLIMBING.

Narrative: AT SECTOR 11, I OBSERVED 2 TRACKED TARGETS. ONE WAS MLG X INBND FROM THE S OVER PXN V301 DSNDING FOR OAK. THE OTHER WAS A FLT OF 2 MLT'S Y WBOUND OVER THE PXN (PANOCHE) VOR AT FL220 B230. MLG X WAS DSNDING THRU FL240 JUST N OF PXN WHEN STANDARD CENTER SEP WAS LOST VERTICAL 500', LATERAL APPROX 3 MI. A 'J CIRCLE' THAT DENOTES 5 MI LATERAL SEP SURROUNDED THE MIL FLT AT FL229 AND MLG X LEAVING FL234 WAS CLRLY WITHIN THE CIRCLE. THE CONFLICT ALERT FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO ME, BUT WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A PROGRAMMING LIMITATION, DID NOT ACTIVATE, WHICH IN TURN DID NOT ACTIVATE THE 'EDP' PROCESSING. THIS ERROR WAS ALSO OBSERVED BY AN AREA SUPVR, AND RPTED TO THE AREA MGR. I WAS TOLD NO OP ERROR INVESTIGATION WOULD TAKE PLACE BECAUSE THE 'SNITCH' WAS NOT ACTIVATED. THIS ERROR OCCURRED BECAUSE THE MIL DATA BLOCK WAS NOT PRESENT ON THE SEC 11 SCOPE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE SEC 11 AIRSPACE. A COORD MIXUP BTWN SEC 11 AND SEC 18 CAUSED THIS ERROR. DUE TO PRESSURE TO KEEP OP ERRORS DOWN (ZOA HAS HAD SEVERAL ALREADY IN 1988), APPARENTLY THE DATA (NTAP, ETC.) IS NOT BEING EXAMINED AND WILL PROBABLY NOT BE SAVED BY THE TIME YOU GET THIS RPT. AS LONG AS INCIDENT RPTING IS PUNITIVE, THIS TYPE OCCURRENCE WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE. AS A RESULT POSITIVE STEPS TO PREVENT A SIMILAR TYPE OCCURRENCE WILL NOT BE EXAMINED OR MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL CTLRS.

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.