Air carrier X assigned same altitude as air carrier Y and had less than standard separation. System ...

Attributes
ACN	227766
Time
Date	199211
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zid
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	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 3300
ASRS Report	227766
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 controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was operating as flight engineer on air carrier X en route to jfk. I was busy attending to my fuel panel when I heard the indianapolis controller tell us to climb and maintain FL200. We did. He pointed out air carrier Y at FL200, opposite direction, coming towards us. He (controller) then asked us what flight level we were at, then air carrier Y. He then told us to climb and maintain FL210 and turn left 90 degrees. We did. Similar instructions were given to air carrier Y. We then queried the controller to confirm that FL200 was correctly assigned. We got no response. ZID did not say anything after that, except to change to a new sector frequency. The crew still doesn't know what happened. Question: does the FAA hold flight engineer's partly responsible in a possible crew error like this? I was quite busy at my panel (we had just taken off from sdf) and could not monitor all aspects of climb. (Reporter question answered by callback.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ASSIGNED SAME ALT AS ACR Y AND HAD LTSS. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING AS FE ON ACR X ENRTE TO JFK. I WAS BUSY ATTENDING TO MY FUEL PANEL WHEN I HEARD THE INDIANAPOLIS CTLR TELL US TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL200. WE DID. HE POINTED OUT ACR Y AT FL200, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, COMING TOWARDS US. HE (CTLR) THEN ASKED US WHAT FLT LEVEL WE WERE AT, THEN ACR Y. HE THEN TOLD US TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL210 AND TURN L 90 DEGS. WE DID. SIMILAR INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO ACR Y. WE THEN QUERIED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM THAT FL200 WAS CORRECTLY ASSIGNED. WE GOT NO RESPONSE. ZID DID NOT SAY ANYTHING AFTER THAT, EXCEPT TO CHANGE TO A NEW SECTOR FREQ. THE CREW STILL DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. QUESTION: DOES THE FAA HOLD FE'S PARTLY RESPONSIBLE IN A POSSIBLE CREW ERROR LIKE THIS? I WAS QUITE BUSY AT MY PANEL (WE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM SDF) AND COULD NOT MONITOR ALL ASPECTS OF CLB. (RPTR QUESTION ANSWERED BY CALLBACK.)

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 assigned same altitude as air carrier Y and had less than standard separation. System error.