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

Attributes
ACN	144990
Time
Date	199005
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lrp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	144990
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	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20400 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X was a phl arrival cleared direct lancaster VORTAC, then V210, bucks intersection direct phl. Air carrier X was descending eastbound out of flight levels cleared to 14000'. Military Y was north of lancaster VOR en route at 16000' southbound. There was another aircraft being worked by an adjacent sector westbound at 15000'. I had to assign air carrier X an amended clearance of 16000' because of the other aircraft over lancaster at 15000'. Air carrier X was issued a heading of 080 degrees to clear military Y at 16000'. When I realized that the 080 degree heading would be insufficient to maintain standard sep, I issued a heading of 010 degrees to air carrier X and an 140 degree heading to military Y to ensure adequate sep. ZNY's quality assurance patch recorded a systems error at 16000' with latitude sep of 3.4 NM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACR X WAS A PHL ARR CLRED DIRECT LANCASTER VORTAC, THEN V210, BUCKS INTXN DIRECT PHL. ACR X WAS DSNDING EBND OUT OF FLT LEVELS CLRED TO 14000'. MIL Y WAS N OF LANCASTER VOR ENRTE AT 16000' SBND. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT BEING WORKED BY AN ADJACENT SECTOR WBND AT 15000'. I HAD TO ASSIGN ACR X AN AMENDED CLRNC OF 16000' BECAUSE OF THE OTHER ACFT OVER LANCASTER AT 15000'. ACR X WAS ISSUED A HDG OF 080 DEGS TO CLR MIL Y AT 16000'. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE 080 DEG HDG WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN STANDARD SEP, I ISSUED A HDG OF 010 DEGS TO ACR X AND AN 140 DEG HDG TO MIL Y TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SEP. ZNY'S QUALITY ASSURANCE PATCH RECORDED A SYSTEMS ERROR AT 16000' WITH LAT SEP OF 3.4 NM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.