Cpr Y climb through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from cpr X. System error.

Attributes
ACN	211501
Time
Date	199205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ptw
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : phl
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	211501
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Cpr X at 9000. Cpr Y at 8000 parallel courses. Cpr X given direct ptw (about 310 degree heading) and climbed to 10000. Cpr Y climbed to 9000 and turned heading 360 degrees for WX which put cpr Y on converging course with cpr X. My attention was diverted to another area. When I looked again at these 2 aircraft they had gone about another 5-7 mi. Cpr Y was at 8500, cpr X still at 9000 about 5 mi separation. I immediately turned cpr Y left 270 degrees and cpr X turned right 360 degrees and again issued climb to 10000. I called traffic to cpr Y, he replied he was IMC. I asked cpr X if he had copied original climb to 10000, his reply was 'yeah, we sure did.' one contributing factor was a supervisor at my shoulder talking to me about something not related to ATC and several other aircraft in the air for other fixes. At the time of this incident, I probably had 5-6 aircraft on the frequency. Since the 2 aircraft were about 10 mi apart when both were climbed and turned on a converging course, had the cpr X began to climb when instructed to, the incident would not have occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR Y CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM CPR X. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: CPR X AT 9000. CPR Y AT 8000 PARALLEL COURSES. CPR X GIVEN DIRECT PTW (ABOUT 310 DEG HDG) AND CLBED TO 10000. CPR Y CLBED TO 9000 AND TURNED HDG 360 DEGS FOR WX WHICH PUT CPR Y ON CONVERGING COURSE WITH CPR X. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AREA. WHEN I LOOKED AGAIN AT THESE 2 ACFT THEY HAD GONE ABOUT ANOTHER 5-7 MI. CPR Y WAS AT 8500, CPR X STILL AT 9000 ABOUT 5 MI SEPARATION. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED CPR Y L 270 DEGS AND CPR X TURNED R 360 DEGS AND AGAIN ISSUED CLB TO 10000. I CALLED TFC TO CPR Y, HE REPLIED HE WAS IMC. I ASKED CPR X IF HE HAD COPIED ORIGINAL CLB TO 10000, HIS REPLY WAS 'YEAH, WE SURE DID.' ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A SUPVR AT MY SHOULDER TALKING TO ME ABOUT SOMETHING NOT RELATED TO ATC AND SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN THE AIR FOR OTHER FIXES. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT, I PROBABLY HAD 5-6 ACFT ON THE FREQ. SINCE THE 2 ACFT WERE ABOUT 10 MI APART WHEN BOTH WERE CLBED AND TURNED ON A CONVERGING COURSE, HAD THE CPR X BEGAN TO CLB WHEN INSTRUCTED TO, THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.