Air carrier Y had less than standard separation from air carrier X. System error.

Attributes
ACN	123774
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : sbn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 9 controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	123774
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X was not picking up localizer. As a result, pilot apparently was preoccupied and was slow to descend and did not acknowledge several xmissions. Busy session with 9-10 aircraft on frequency. Air carrier Y (commuter) on vectors to parallel runway saw the widebody transport off his left and requested a right 360, which was approved, but not before loss of standard separation occurred. Air carrier X was a foreign carrier. Better command of english language by foreign carrier pilots would help tremendously. Better on-the-spot supervision by supervisors would have helped. One feeder controller was a staff person getting time on position. The other feeder controller was undergoing training. Too many aircraft coming in too fast.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR X. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X WAS NOT PICKING UP LOC. AS A RESULT, PLT APPARENTLY WAS PREOCCUPIED AND WAS SLOW TO DSND AND DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL XMISSIONS. BUSY SESSION WITH 9-10 ACFT ON FREQ. ACR Y (COMMUTER) ON VECTORS TO PARALLEL RWY SAW THE WDB OFF HIS LEFT AND REQUESTED A RIGHT 360, WHICH WAS APPROVED, BUT NOT BEFORE LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION OCCURRED. ACR X WAS A FOREIGN CARRIER. BETTER COMMAND OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE BY FOREIGN CARRIER PLTS WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY. BETTER ON-THE-SPOT SUPERVISION BY SUPVRS WOULD HAVE HELPED. ONE FEEDER CTLR WAS A STAFF PERSON GETTING TIME ON POSITION. THE OTHER FEEDER CTLR WAS UNDERGOING TRAINING. TOO MANY ACFT COMING IN TOO FAST.

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.