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

Attributes
ACN	130723
Time
Date	198912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	130723
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	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Sector got saturated with traffic and a handoff man was requested. 3 aircraft were vectored out of the in-trail lga string in order to increase spacing for handoff to ny approach. Air carrier X traffic was vectored back into string of traffic at 16000' with cpr Y coming up behind him at 17000'. Cpr Y was cleared to 11000', but his altitude was not entered in data block because handoff man was too busy and could not keep us with traffic situation. Cpr Y started his descent and violated protected airspace of air carrier X. Item #14 on reverse side: other factor which influenced this error was tmu (traffic management unit). Flow control released 4 metropolitan area (iad, dca, bwi) lga departures with no plan for in trail spacing into my already established string of lga landers. Hence, with 7 lga landers on my frequency at the time of the error, 4 required turns (sometimes drastic) in order to obtain needed in trail spacing. 15 aircraft were on frequency at time of error. Sector overloaded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: SECTOR GOT SATURATED WITH TFC AND A HDOF MAN WAS REQUESTED. 3 ACFT WERE VECTORED OUT OF THE IN-TRAIL LGA STRING IN ORDER TO INCREASE SPACING FOR HDOF TO NY APCH. ACR X TFC WAS VECTORED BACK INTO STRING OF TFC AT 16000' WITH CPR Y COMING UP BEHIND HIM AT 17000'. CPR Y WAS CLRED TO 11000', BUT HIS ALT WAS NOT ENTERED IN DATA BLOCK BECAUSE HDOF MAN WAS TOO BUSY AND COULD NOT KEEP US WITH TFC SITUATION. CPR Y STARTED HIS DSCNT AND VIOLATED PROTECTED AIRSPACE OF ACR X. ITEM #14 ON REVERSE SIDE: OTHER FACTOR WHICH INFLUENCED THIS ERROR WAS TMU (TFC MGMNT UNIT). FLOW CTL RELEASED 4 METRO AREA (IAD, DCA, BWI) LGA DEPS WITH NO PLAN FOR IN TRAIL SPACING INTO MY ALREADY ESTABLISHED STRING OF LGA LANDERS. HENCE, WITH 7 LGA LANDERS ON MY FREQ AT THE TIME OF THE ERROR, 4 REQUIRED TURNS (SOMETIMES DRASTIC) IN ORDER TO OBTAIN NEEDED IN TRAIL SPACING. 15 ACFT WERE ON FREQ AT TIME OF ERROR. SECTOR OVERLOADED.

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.