Less than standard separation between commuter and air carrier. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	93503
Time
Date	198808
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10800 msl bound upper : 11200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v139
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	93503
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Commuter proceeding southbound on V139 at 11000'. Turbojet departure off jfk eastbound climbing to 11000'. Aircraft off jfk never checked on frequency and failed to fly filed route of flight. When turbojet missed turn I questioned his altitude, then climbed him because of conflict. I descended commuter to increase sep. The sector was extremely busy at the time. The sardi sector (#32) at ZBW has been idented as a problem sector on numerous occasions and several unsafe condition reports have been filed. At this time the problems have not been rectified. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter clarified yrs in ATC. Gave types of aircraft involved. Air carrier Y was on SID out of jfk and was left on a heading by N90 rather than being put on the 115 degree right as SID specifies. Air carrier mode C not on so C/a did not activate, and qap did not alarm. Says frequency change from N90 to ZBW was late. Commuter X saw air carrier Y with about 1 mi latitude sep and about same altitude. Reporter is in trouble for not promptly reporting incident to supervisor. Are in process of system error review now. Discussed some of the problems that ZBW controllers have in sardi sector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN COMMUTER AND ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: COMMUTER PROCEEDING SBND ON V139 AT 11000'. TURBOJET DEP OFF JFK EBND CLBING TO 11000'. ACFT OFF JFK NEVER CHKED ON FREQ AND FAILED TO FLY FILED ROUTE OF FLT. WHEN TURBOJET MISSED TURN I QUESTIONED HIS ALT, THEN CLBED HIM BECAUSE OF CONFLICT. I DSNDED COMMUTER TO INCREASE SEP. THE SECTOR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AT THE TIME. THE SARDI SECTOR (#32) AT ZBW HAS BEEN IDENTED AS A PROB SECTOR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND SEVERAL UNSAFE CONDITION RPTS HAVE BEEN FILED. AT THIS TIME THE PROBS HAVE NOT BEEN RECTIFIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CLARIFIED YRS IN ATC. GAVE TYPES OF ACFT INVOLVED. ACR Y WAS ON SID OUT OF JFK AND WAS LEFT ON A HEADING BY N90 RATHER THAN BEING PUT ON THE 115 DEG R AS SID SPECIFIES. ACR MODE C NOT ON SO C/A DID NOT ACTIVATE, AND QAP DID NOT ALARM. SAYS FREQ CHANGE FROM N90 TO ZBW WAS LATE. COMMUTER X SAW ACR Y WITH ABOUT 1 MI LAT SEP AND ABOUT SAME ALT. RPTR IS IN TROUBLE FOR NOT PROMPTLY RPTING INCIDENT TO SUPVR. ARE IN PROCESS OF SYS ERROR REVIEW NOW. DISCUSSED SOME OF THE PROBS THAT ZBW CTLRS HAVE IN SARDI SECTOR.

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.