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

Attributes
ACN	208122
Time
Date	199204
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 7 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	208122
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	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 99999 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Light traffic, early morning. Air carrier X and air carrier Y eastbound across pacific to conus. Air carrier X requested climb from FL350 to FL370. Air carrier Y flight 5 mins behind at FL370. Both flts in vicinity of 43 degrees 20 mins north/152 degrees 00 mins west. Pending traffic situation at 137 degrees 00 mins west between air carrier X flight and a widebody transport crossing flight path at FL350. At the time pvd was OTS and maintenance personnel were exchanging units in/out of sector. Disruption to work environment was constant from 10 mins prior to the incident to 1 min prior to issuing clearance. Traffic search was concentrated to situations in front of air carrier X aircraft rather than also in back of air carrier X flight. Without visual display and disruption of work environment, sector mechanics were not followed thoroughly. Prevention could be accomplished with a rebriefing of the sector after work disruption is over. This would refamiliarize me with the traffic and also refresh the mental picture since the visual display was absent too.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLB TO OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: LIGHT TFC, EARLY MORNING. ACR X AND ACR Y EBOUND ACROSS PACIFIC TO CONUS. ACR X REQUESTED CLB FROM FL350 TO FL370. ACR Y FLT 5 MINS BEHIND AT FL370. BOTH FLTS IN VICINITY OF 43 DEGS 20 MINS N/152 DEGS 00 MINS W. PENDING TFC SITUATION AT 137 DEGS 00 MINS W BTWN ACR X FLT AND A WDB XING FLT PATH AT FL350. AT THE TIME PVD WAS OTS AND MAINT PERSONNEL WERE EXCHANGING UNITS IN/OUT OF SECTOR. DISRUPTION TO WORK ENVIRONMENT WAS CONSTANT FROM 10 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT TO 1 MIN PRIOR TO ISSUING CLRNC. TFC SEARCH WAS CONCENTRATED TO SITUATIONS IN FRONT OF ACR X ACFT RATHER THAN ALSO IN BACK OF ACR X FLT. WITHOUT VISUAL DISPLAY AND DISRUPTION OF WORK ENVIRONMENT, SECTOR MECHS WERE NOT FOLLOWED THOROUGHLY. PREVENTION COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH A REBRIEFING OF THE SECTOR AFTER WORK DISRUPTION IS OVER. THIS WOULD REFAMILIARIZE ME WITH THE TFC AND ALSO REFRESH THE MENTAL PICTURE SINCE THE VISUAL DISPLAY WAS ABSENT TOO.

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 to occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. System error.