Less than standard separation between two corp aircraft. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	100084
Time
Date	198812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : end
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13800 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	100084
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24600 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Sector was extremely complex, with many aircraft operating via nonstandard routes and altitudes. Aircraft involved in incident was being vectored for descent into phl. Kenton low sector is always a complex sector, there are too many aircraft crossing, descending, and climbing through each other. Kenton low sector should be thoroughly scrutinized as per traffic flow. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. No home phone number. Called at work and reporter could not talk for long time. Gave types of aircraft. Relative position and miss distances. Computer detected error. When conflict alert activated he gave turn to corp X. Ended up with 4.1 mi horizontal and about 300' vertical.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN TWO CORP ACFT. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: SECTOR WAS EXTREMELY COMPLEX, WITH MANY ACFT OPERATING VIA NONSTANDARD ROUTES AND ALTS. ACFT INVOLVED IN INCIDENT WAS BEING VECTORED FOR DSCNT INTO PHL. KENTON LOW SECTOR IS ALWAYS A COMPLEX SECTOR, THERE ARE TOO MANY ACFT XING, DSNDING, AND CLBING THROUGH EACH OTHER. KENTON LOW SECTOR SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY SCRUTINIZED AS PER TFC FLOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. NO HOME PHONE NUMBER. CALLED AT WORK AND RPTR COULD NOT TALK FOR LONG TIME. GAVE TYPES OF ACFT. RELATIVE POS AND MISS DISTANCES. COMPUTER DETECTED ERROR. WHEN CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED HE GAVE TURN TO CORP X. ENDED UP WITH 4.1 MI HORIZ AND ABOUT 300' VERT.

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.