Narrative:

I was asked to train a person on the radar at the youngstown sector which I agreed to do. The sector was started to get busy so the supervisor had the trnee start to work on radar at that time. Medium large transport X at FL210 was direct to yng from the northeast. Small transport Y at FL220 which was on a test flight from bkl airport to eri back to bkl was on assigned heading 180 degrees. We were working about 12 aircraft at this time, numerous departures from cle and cleveland satellite airports were coming at this time. The trnee descended small transport Y to 15000'. I had gotten distracted by coordination the d-side controller was doing with the cle departure controller and adjacent sectors and inquired what coordination had taken place. While doing this I had missed the transmission by trnee descending small transport Y. When I realized what trnee had done I was unable to correct his mistake in time to prevent loss of sep since medium large transport X had approximately a 200 KT overtake on small transport Y. Keep in mind also that this trnee is already checked out on 3 other radar sectors so is not a beginner. I feel that if trnees were put in sectors at slower periods before the sector becomes busy and then is afforded the time to build up to the busy period. During this session the trnee was to be judged for certification. Unfortunately, at my expense, we found he was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT DESCENDED THROUGH THE ALT OF A FASTER, OVERTAKING MLG RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO TRAIN A PERSON ON THE RADAR AT THE YOUNGSTOWN SECTOR WHICH I AGREED TO DO. THE SECTOR WAS STARTED TO GET BUSY SO THE SUPVR HAD THE TRNEE START TO WORK ON RADAR AT THAT TIME. MLG X AT FL210 WAS DIRECT TO YNG FROM THE NE. SMT Y AT FL220 WHICH WAS ON A TEST FLT FROM BKL ARPT TO ERI BACK TO BKL WAS ON ASSIGNED HDG 180 DEGS. WE WERE WORKING ABOUT 12 ACFT AT THIS TIME, NUMEROUS DEPS FROM CLE AND CLEVELAND SATELLITE ARPTS WERE COMING AT THIS TIME. THE TRNEE DSNDED SMT Y TO 15000'. I HAD GOTTEN DISTRACTED BY COORD THE D-SIDE CTLR WAS DOING WITH THE CLE DEP CTLR AND ADJACENT SECTORS AND INQUIRED WHAT COORD HAD TAKEN PLACE. WHILE DOING THIS I HAD MISSED THE XMISSION BY TRNEE DSNDING SMT Y. WHEN I REALIZED WHAT TRNEE HAD DONE I WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT HIS MISTAKE IN TIME TO PREVENT LOSS OF SEP SINCE MLG X HAD APPROX A 200 KT OVERTAKE ON SMT Y. KEEP IN MIND ALSO THAT THIS TRNEE IS ALREADY CHKED OUT ON 3 OTHER RADAR SECTORS SO IS NOT A BEGINNER. I FEEL THAT IF TRNEES WERE PUT IN SECTORS AT SLOWER PERIODS BEFORE THE SECTOR BECOMES BUSY AND THEN IS AFFORDED THE TIME TO BUILD UP TO THE BUSY PERIOD. DURING THIS SESSION THE TRNEE WAS TO BE JUDGED FOR CERTIFICATION. UNFORTUNATELY, AT MY EXPENSE, WE FOUND HE WAS NOT.

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.