Air carrier X climb through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. ...

Attributes
ACN	207129
Time
Date	199204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjn
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet 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
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	207129
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	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10200 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X was nebound direct to sjn and had leveled at FL330. Air carrier Y was swbound on J18 and level at FL350. Air carrier X requested climb to FL370. The aircraft were head on about 20-25 mi apart. I went offline to coordinate something. When I got off the line I noticed air carrier X had an assigned altitude of FL370 and his mode C readout said FL333. I then pointed to the data block and asked my radar man if the aircraft was climbing. He gave no response but immediately began attempting to separate the aircraft. He first tried to turn air carrier X to a heading of 100 and descend and maintain FL330 but there was no response from the aircraft. He then attempted to turn air carrier Y to a heading of 270 for traffic. Still no response. Once again, he turned air carrier X to heading 100 descend and maintain FL330. The aircraft acknowledged. He then said to expedite the turn but said wrong a/north. He then turned air carrier Y to heading 360 for traffic. The aircraft responded and said he was climbing for a TCASII alert. He then told air carrier Y to climb and maintain FL390. Air carrier X reported the air carrier Y in sight and expediting turn. Both aircraft later requested each other's call sign since both had received a TCASII alert. I believe a traffic search was not accomplished prior to climbing air carrier X. Also we had had numerous problems with our transmitters since clrncs were given 2 and 3 times to several aircraft during that period. The transmitters had been reported as being patchy in some areas earlier in the day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR. ACR X AND Y RECEIVED TCASII RA.

Narrative: ACR X WAS NEBOUND DIRECT TO SJN AND HAD LEVELED AT FL330. ACR Y WAS SWBOUND ON J18 AND LEVEL AT FL350. ACR X REQUESTED CLB TO FL370. THE ACFT WERE HEAD ON ABOUT 20-25 MI APART. I WENT OFFLINE TO COORDINATE SOMETHING. WHEN I GOT OFF THE LINE I NOTICED ACR X HAD AN ASSIGNED ALT OF FL370 AND HIS MODE C READOUT SAID FL333. I THEN POINTED TO THE DATA BLOCK AND ASKED MY RADAR MAN IF THE ACFT WAS CLBING. HE GAVE NO RESPONSE BUT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN ATTEMPTING TO SEPARATE THE ACFT. HE FIRST TRIED TO TURN ACR X TO A HDG OF 100 AND DSND AND MAINTAIN FL330 BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACFT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO TURN ACR Y TO A HDG OF 270 FOR TFC. STILL NO RESPONSE. ONCE AGAIN, HE TURNED ACR X TO HDG 100 DSND AND MAINTAIN FL330. THE ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED. HE THEN SAID TO EXPEDITE THE TURN BUT SAID WRONG A/N. HE THEN TURNED ACR Y TO HDG 360 FOR TFC. THE ACFT RESPONDED AND SAID HE WAS CLBING FOR A TCASII ALERT. HE THEN TOLD ACR Y TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL390. ACR X RPTED THE ACR Y IN SIGHT AND EXPEDITING TURN. BOTH ACFT LATER REQUESTED EACH OTHER'S CALL SIGN SINCE BOTH HAD RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT. I BELIEVE A TFC SEARCH WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO CLBING ACR X. ALSO WE HAD HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH OUR XMITTERS SINCE CLRNCS WERE GIVEN 2 AND 3 TIMES TO SEVERAL ACFT DURING THAT PERIOD. THE XMITTERS HAD BEEN RPTED AS BEING PATCHY IN SOME AREAS EARLIER IN THE DAY.

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.

Air carrier X climb through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. System error. Air carrier X and Y received TCASII RA.