Narrative:

Air carrier X a bos departure cleared via arcer, sey, hto and air carrier Y, an international flight arriving jfk. Lost standard ATC sep of 5 mi with less than standard vertical sep. Safety was not compromised and no evasive action was necessary as the conflict was resolved by a vector to air carrier X which regained standard ATC sep. Major cause of the incident was controller oversight, however major air carrier routes should not be so close. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter clarified types of aircraft, routes, altitude, etc. Air carrier Y was on J150 from hya to hto VOR and level at FL230. C/a did not activate until after less than standard separation had occurred. Ntap showed between 4.0-4.7 mi latitude sep with 300' vertical as air carrier X was climbing through FL233 for higher altitude. This is a really busy sector (cape) and a rush period had just ended and reporter says he thinks he relaxed a bit when this incident took place. He was in process of being relieved at sector and had expanded scope range from normal 75 mi range to about 125/150 range to take a pointout on another aircraft which would be factor later. Left scope on longer range while he was briefing relief. This made it harder for him to judge distance between air carrier X and air carrier Y.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X A BOS DEP CLRED VIA ARCER, SEY, HTO AND ACR Y, AN INTL FLT ARRIVING JFK. LOST STANDARD ATC SEP OF 5 MI WITH LESS THAN STANDARD VERT SEP. SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED AND NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS NECESSARY AS THE CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED BY A VECTOR TO ACR X WHICH REGAINED STANDARD ATC SEP. MAJOR CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS CTLR OVERSIGHT, HOWEVER MAJOR ACR ROUTES SHOULD NOT BE SO CLOSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CLARIFIED TYPES OF ACFT, ROUTES, ALT, ETC. ACR Y WAS ON J150 FROM HYA TO HTO VOR AND LEVEL AT FL230. C/A DID NOT ACTIVATE UNTIL AFTER LTSS HAD OCCURRED. NTAP SHOWED BTWN 4.0-4.7 MI LAT SEP WITH 300' VERT AS ACR X WAS CLBING THROUGH FL233 FOR HIGHER ALT. THIS IS A REALLY BUSY SECTOR (CAPE) AND A RUSH PERIOD HAD JUST ENDED AND RPTR SAYS HE THINKS HE RELAXED A BIT WHEN THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. HE WAS IN PROCESS OF BEING RELIEVED AT SECTOR AND HAD EXPANDED SCOPE RANGE FROM NORMAL 75 MI RANGE TO ABOUT 125/150 RANGE TO TAKE A POINTOUT ON ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WOULD BE FACTOR LATER. LEFT SCOPE ON LONGER RANGE WHILE HE WAS BRIEFING RELIEF. THIS MADE IT HARDER FOR HIM TO JUDGE DISTANCE BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y.

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.