Aircraft was descended through an occupied altitude resulting in less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	124369
Time
Date	198910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gdm
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	124369
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : developmental
Experience	controller military : 3 controller non radar : 1
ASRS Report	124353
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Swbnd traffic at 8000 (single engine, fixed wing) and aircraft northeast bound at 9000 descending to 7000. Traffic diverging. Equipment at radar position was malfunctioning. The keyboard was sticking and was very distracting. During moderate to busy traffic. Supplemental information from acn 124353: I was working the radar associate position. I was busy with helping the radar controller move some data blocks, and also marking some of the flight strips and also tearing flight strips off the printer. My keyboard was not working 100% properly. I feel that if it was, I would have been able to assist in moving data blocks much better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT WAS DESCENDED THROUGH AN OCCUPIED ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: SWBND TFC AT 8000 (SINGLE ENGINE, FIXED WING) AND ACFT NE BOUND AT 9000 DESCENDING TO 7000. TFC DIVERGING. EQUIPMENT AT RADAR POSITION WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE KEYBOARD WAS STICKING AND WAS VERY DISTRACTING. DURING MODERATE TO BUSY TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 124353: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POSITION. I WAS BUSY WITH HELPING THE RADAR CTLR MOVE SOME DATA BLOCKS, AND ALSO MARKING SOME OF THE FLT STRIPS AND ALSO TEARING FLT STRIPS OFF THE PRINTER. MY KEYBOARD WAS NOT WORKING 100% PROPERLY. I FEEL THAT IF IT WAS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST IN MOVING DATA BLOCKS MUCH BETTER.

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.