Small transport Y had less than standard separation from air carrier Z. System error.

Attributes
ACN	127663
Time
Date	198911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : emi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : iah
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	127663
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Washington ARTCC computer not operating with proper interface to iad and bwi ARTS computers, making manual handoffs and manual coordination necessary. Drastic increase in workload was caused. Iad and bwi approach were refusing to work aircraft due to high workload levels. This caused us an even greater increase in workload (having to spin numerous aircraft to keep them out of approach control airspace). Small aircraft X was refused by iad approach so radar controller (I working handoff position) vectored him away from iad airspace and rerouted him thru bwi airspace at 5000'. Iad also refused to work small transport Y so he was vectored away from iad and rerouted thru bwi airspace at 11,000 descending to 6000' behind small aircraft X. Bwi handed air carrier Z off to me at 6000' nwbnd (almost head-on with small transport Y and small aircraft X). Small transport Y needed to go down to 5000' as per standard operating procedure but he was 100 KTS faster than small aircraft X in front of him. Bwi made us spin small aircraft X which gave small transport Y extra time to catch up with small aircraft X. Radar controller vectored small transport Y on a 070 degree heading to go behind small aircraft X and left him at 6000' until separation was assured on his 070 degree heading he lost separation (4.1 mi and 500') with air carrier Z at 6000' nwbnd.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: WASHINGTON ARTCC COMPUTER NOT OPERATING WITH PROPER INTERFACE TO IAD AND BWI ARTS COMPUTERS, MAKING MANUAL HANDOFFS AND MANUAL COORD NECESSARY. DRASTIC INCREASE IN WORKLOAD WAS CAUSED. IAD AND BWI APCH WERE REFUSING TO WORK ACFT DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD LEVELS. THIS CAUSED US AN EVEN GREATER INCREASE IN WORKLOAD (HAVING TO SPIN NUMEROUS ACFT TO KEEP THEM OUT OF APCH CTL AIRSPACE). SMA X WAS REFUSED BY IAD APCH SO RADAR CTLR (I WORKING HANDOFF POSITION) VECTORED HIM AWAY FROM IAD AIRSPACE AND REROUTED HIM THRU BWI AIRSPACE AT 5000'. IAD ALSO REFUSED TO WORK SMT Y SO HE WAS VECTORED AWAY FROM IAD AND REROUTED THRU BWI AIRSPACE AT 11,000 DESCENDING TO 6000' BEHIND SMA X. BWI HANDED ACR Z OFF TO ME AT 6000' NWBND (ALMOST HEAD-ON WITH SMT Y AND SMA X). SMT Y NEEDED TO GO DOWN TO 5000' AS PER STANDARD OPERATING PROC BUT HE WAS 100 KTS FASTER THAN SMA X IN FRONT OF HIM. BWI MADE US SPIN SMA X WHICH GAVE SMT Y EXTRA TIME TO CATCH UP WITH SMA X. RADAR CTLR VECTORED SMT Y ON A 070 DEG HDG TO GO BEHIND SMA X AND LEFT HIM AT 6000' UNTIL SEPARATION WAS ASSURED ON HIS 070 DEG HDG HE LOST SEPARATION (4.1 MI AND 500') WITH ACR Z AT 6000' NWBND.

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.