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

Attributes
ACN	177857
Time
Date	199105
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 330 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	177857
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We departed runway 28R at pit as air carrier X en route to jst. Heading assigned by tower was 34D with climb to 4000' as per the SID. After takeoff tower turned us to a 360 degree heading and turned us over to departure. Departure control cleared us to 13000' on the 360 degree heading. While climbing through approximately 5400-5600' we saw air carrier Y pass about 400-600' above and 3/4-1 mi in front of us. Departure control, at the same time we saw the traffic, cleared us back down to 5000'. We then responded that we had the traffic in sight. Departure instructed us to maintain visibility sep with the traffic and climb to 13000'. Upon landing I called the TRACON supervisor. He said the reason for the conflict was due to controller error. Before the controller climbed us he looked at the radar and saw no traffic inbound from cutta intersection, the normal path taken by traffic inbound from the northwest. Air carrier Y had come from over hlg VOR, the southwest.

Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 28R AT PIT AS ACR X ENRTE TO JST. HDG ASSIGNED BY TWR WAS 34D WITH CLB TO 4000' AS PER THE SID. AFTER TKOF TWR TURNED US TO A 360 DEG HDG AND TURNED US OVER TO DEP. DEP CTL CLRED US TO 13000' ON THE 360 DEG HDG. WHILE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 5400-5600' WE SAW ACR Y PASS ABOUT 400-600' ABOVE AND 3/4-1 MI IN FRONT OF US. DEP CTL, AT THE SAME TIME WE SAW THE TFC, CLRED US BACK DOWN TO 5000'. WE THEN RESPONDED THAT WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. DEP INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP WITH THE TFC AND CLB TO 13000'. UPON LNDG I CALLED THE TRACON SUPVR. HE SAID THE REASON FOR THE CONFLICT WAS DUE TO CTLR ERROR. BEFORE THE CTLR CLBED US HE LOOKED AT THE RADAR AND SAW NO TFC INBND FROM CUTTA INTXN, THE NORMAL PATH TAKEN BY TFC INBND FROM THE NW. ACR Y HAD COME FROM OVER HLG VOR, THE SW.

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.