Narrative:

I was conducting OJT at the non radar position. Newly recertified radar controller was working radar position. Air carrier X checked on climbing to FL330 out of FL300. He was southbound on J89, non radar. Trnee answered a handoff line re: coordination about air carrier Y and another aircraft. Air carrier Y was handed off to our sector level at FL310, northbound and head-on with air carrier X. Aircraft were 80 mi apart. Radar controller recognized the possible confliction and asked air carrier X to increase rate of climb. Air carrier X said 500 FPM was the best he could do, so radar controller turned air carrier X 20 degrees right. D-trnee answered air carrier Y call on while radar controller did coordination with another controller. Radar controller then asked air carrier Y if he was on frequency. He replied. Then d-trnee answered handoff line for a late handoff from al ARTCC on air carrier aircraft. While he was doing this, radar controller turned air carrier Y 15 degrees right. Air carrier X was out of FL324 about 2 mins apart. Radar controller answered another air carrier and began to take a pointout from ZTL. She then realized that air carrier X and air carrier Y were not going to be separated. She turned air carrier Y an additional 25 degrees right. I thought that she meant to say 'left,' judging from the tracks of the targets and not hearing the first 15 degree right turn. Sep was lost at xx:xx local. This was the radar controller's second operational error in the 8 weeks she has been certified on radar at this sector. She did not take into account the slow climb of the air carrier X widebody transport in her decision making process and issued direction of vectors based on previous practice, not the specific situation at hand. She, in my opinion, is not ready to work a radar position and her OJT instrument reports reflect this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR CTLR FAILED TO PROVIDE STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR X AND ACR Y. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING OJT AT THE NON RADAR POS. NEWLY RECERTIFIED RADAR CTLR WAS WORKING RADAR POS. ACR X CHKED ON CLBING TO FL330 OUT OF FL300. HE WAS SBND ON J89, NON RADAR. TRNEE ANSWERED A HDOF LINE RE: COORD ABOUT ACR Y AND ANOTHER ACFT. ACR Y WAS HANDED OFF TO OUR SECTOR LEVEL AT FL310, NBOUND AND HEAD-ON WITH ACR X. ACFT WERE 80 MI APART. RADAR CTLR RECOGNIZED THE POSSIBLE CONFLICTION AND ASKED ACR X TO INCREASE RATE OF CLB. ACR X SAID 500 FPM WAS THE BEST HE COULD DO, SO RADAR CTLR TURNED ACR X 20 DEGS RIGHT. D-TRNEE ANSWERED ACR Y CALL ON WHILE RADAR CTLR DID COORD WITH ANOTHER CTLR. RADAR CTLR THEN ASKED ACR Y IF HE WAS ON FREQ. HE REPLIED. THEN D-TRNEE ANSWERED HDOF LINE FOR A LATE HDOF FROM AL ARTCC ON ACR ACFT. WHILE HE WAS DOING THIS, RADAR CTLR TURNED ACR Y 15 DEGS RIGHT. ACR X WAS OUT OF FL324 ABOUT 2 MINS APART. RADAR CTLR ANSWERED ANOTHER ACR AND BEGAN TO TAKE A POINTOUT FROM ZTL. SHE THEN REALIZED THAT ACR X AND ACR Y WERE NOT GOING TO BE SEPARATED. SHE TURNED ACR Y AN ADDITIONAL 25 DEGS RIGHT. I THOUGHT THAT SHE MEANT TO SAY 'LEFT,' JUDGING FROM THE TRACKS OF THE TARGETS AND NOT HEARING THE FIRST 15 DEG RIGHT TURN. SEP WAS LOST AT XX:XX LCL. THIS WAS THE RADAR CTLR'S SECOND OPERROR IN THE 8 WKS SHE HAS BEEN CERTIFIED ON RADAR AT THIS SECTOR. SHE DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SLOW CLB OF THE ACR X WDB IN HER DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND ISSUED DIRECTION OF VECTORS BASED ON PREVIOUS PRACTICE, NOT THE SPECIFIC SITUATION AT HAND. SHE, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT READY TO WORK A RADAR POS AND HER OJT INSTR RPTS REFLECT THIS.

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.