Narrative:

We company X were assigned 8000' by san diego approach then handed off to coast approach just south of oceanside VOR. We continued north on V23 at 8000' toward seal beach VOR. Company Y was southbound from bur to san. He was told to fly a heading (unknown) and intercept V23 by the same coast controller we were talking to. He was not given an altitude to maintain that I recall. Normally the bur to san flight is descended from 8000' to 7000' north of el toro MCAS so as to be at the correct altitude for the direction of flight when on the airway. He was not given any altitude change, that we heard, the entire time we were both on the same frequency. The coast controller appeared to be a trainee as the supervisor/instructor cut in on the frequency to correct calls frequently. This was later verified to be true when I talked to the area supervisor for the coast facility on the telephone. At one point the supervisor/instructor cut in and said, 'the other company turn right to 090.' my first officer and I looked at each other and wondered which company the 'other' was since there were 4 or 5 on the frequency. About 10 seconds later he corrected himself and told company Y to turn left to 090. Y queried that call. The controller then said, 'company Y, turn right to 210 degree immediately', and 'company X turn right to 090 immediately.' I initiated an immediate 30 degree bank to the right to 090. I saw Y in my turn turning away from me. He was approximately 150' to 200' lower in altitude and 1/4 to 1/2 mi away from us. Once we were clear of each other the controller gave us vectors back to our original courses. Supplemental information from acn 117620: company flight Y (bur to san) is routinely cleared from 7-8000 through coast airspace to assist controllers with separation. The only problem with this practice is that in my opinion an even altitude for a sebnd direction of flight is an incident or accident waiting to happen. The correct altitude is odd for that direction. As evident on flight Y in 7/89, coast approach cleared company flight Y to maintain 8000 and vectored to intercept V-23 sebnd. At the same time another small transport (company flight X) was on the same airway nwbnd at 8000'. Flight Y was being controled by coast and flight X by san diego. Somehow the handoff of flight X to coast approach did not acknowledge the imminent traffic conflict. A midair was narrowly avoided by a coast supervisor and by the two pilots aboard their respective aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 117407: company flight Y from bur to san was at 7000' cleared onto the pomona 164 degree right (V363). We were cleared to 8000 as we intercepted. This is routine practice in this area due to traffic landing at orange county sna.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO COMMUTER ACFT HAVE LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAME ALT OPERATION.

Narrative: WE COMPANY X WERE ASSIGNED 8000' BY SAN DIEGO APCH THEN HANDED OFF TO COAST APCH JUST S OF OCEANSIDE VOR. WE CONTINUED N ON V23 AT 8000' TOWARD SEAL BEACH VOR. COMPANY Y WAS SBND FROM BUR TO SAN. HE WAS TOLD TO FLY A HDG (UNKNOWN) AND INTERCEPT V23 BY THE SAME COAST CTLR WE WERE TALKING TO. HE WAS NOT GIVEN AN ALT TO MAINTAIN THAT I RECALL. NORMALLY THE BUR TO SAN FLT IS DESCENDED FROM 8000' TO 7000' N OF EL TORO MCAS SO AS TO BE AT THE CORRECT ALT FOR THE DIRECTION OF FLT WHEN ON THE AIRWAY. HE WAS NOT GIVEN ANY ALT CHANGE, THAT WE HEARD, THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE BOTH ON THE SAME FREQ. THE COAST CTLR APPEARED TO BE A TRAINEE AS THE SUPVR/INSTRUCTOR CUT IN ON THE FREQ TO CORRECT CALLS FREQUENTLY. THIS WAS LATER VERIFIED TO BE TRUE WHEN I TALKED TO THE AREA SUPVR FOR THE COAST FAC ON THE TELEPHONE. AT ONE POINT THE SUPVR/INSTRUCTOR CUT IN AND SAID, 'THE OTHER COMPANY TURN RIGHT TO 090.' MY F/O AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WONDERED WHICH COMPANY THE 'OTHER' WAS SINCE THERE WERE 4 OR 5 ON THE FREQ. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER HE CORRECTED HIMSELF AND TOLD COMPANY Y TO TURN LEFT TO 090. Y QUERIED THAT CALL. THE CTLR THEN SAID, 'COMPANY Y, TURN RIGHT TO 210 DEG IMMEDIATELY', AND 'COMPANY X TURN RIGHT TO 090 IMMEDIATELY.' I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE 30 DEG BANK TO THE RIGHT TO 090. I SAW Y IN MY TURN TURNING AWAY FROM ME. HE WAS APPROX 150' TO 200' LOWER IN ALT AND 1/4 TO 1/2 MI AWAY FROM US. ONCE WE WERE CLEAR OF EACH OTHER THE CTLR GAVE US VECTORS BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL COURSES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 117620: COMPANY FLT Y (BUR TO SAN) IS ROUTINELY CLRED FROM 7-8000 THROUGH COAST AIRSPACE TO ASSIST CTLRS WITH SEPARATION. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS PRACTICE IS THAT IN MY OPINION AN EVEN ALT FOR A SEBND DIRECTION OF FLT IS AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE CORRECT ALT IS ODD FOR THAT DIRECTION. AS EVIDENT ON FLT Y IN 7/89, COAST APCH CLRED COMPANY FLT Y TO MAINTAIN 8000 AND VECTORED TO INTERCEPT V-23 SEBND. AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER SMT (COMPANY FLT X) WAS ON THE SAME AIRWAY NWBND AT 8000'. FLT Y WAS BEING CTLED BY COAST AND FLT X BY SAN DIEGO. SOMEHOW THE HANDOFF OF FLT X TO COAST APCH DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMMINENT TFC CONFLICT. A MIDAIR WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED BY A COAST SUPVR AND BY THE TWO PLTS ABOARD THEIR RESPECTIVE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 117407: COMPANY FLT Y FROM BUR TO SAN WAS AT 7000' CLRED ONTO THE POMONA 164 DEG R (V363). WE WERE CLRED TO 8000 AS WE INTERCEPTED. THIS IS ROUTINE PRACTICE IN THIS AREA DUE TO TFC LNDG AT ORANGE COUNTY SNA.

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.