Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	288901
Time
Date	199411
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gni
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmid artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	288901
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Houston ARTCC passed aircraft 2 B757 to merida caribe sector sword east XX28Z at FL350. Mid caribe sector called houston ARTCC with estimate for aircraft 1 B727 sword at EXX2K. Houston ARTCC advised unable for traffic -- request aircraft 1 at FL310. At XX19Z aircraft Q called new york commercial radio over sword at XX19Z FL350! At XX22Z controller called ny commercial radio to verify altitude of aircraft 1. At XX23Z ny commercial radio confirmed aircraft 1 was at FL350! No action was available as non radar traffic was abeam sword at all available altitudes houston center has no frequencys and no radar in the gulf of mexico. There are numerous very dangerous errors as we are required 15 min separation at altitude! Pilot 1 advised houston center he was never assigned FL310 at approximately XX35Z. Pilot 2 never talked to houston center. He estimated sword at FL350 on ny commercial radio then contacted mid center at sword!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR.

Narrative: HOUSTON ARTCC PASSED ACFT 2 B757 TO MERIDA CARIBE SECTOR SWORD E XX28Z AT FL350. MID CARIBE SECTOR CALLED HOUSTON ARTCC WITH ESTIMATE FOR ACFT 1 B727 SWORD AT EXX2K. HOUSTON ARTCC ADVISED UNABLE FOR TFC -- REQUEST ACFT 1 AT FL310. AT XX19Z ACFT Q CALLED NEW YORK COMMERCIAL RADIO OVER SWORD AT XX19Z FL350! AT XX22Z CTLR CALLED NY COMMERCIAL RADIO TO VERIFY ALT OF ACFT 1. AT XX23Z NY COMMERCIAL RADIO CONFIRMED ACFT 1 WAS AT FL350! NO ACTION WAS AVAILABLE AS NON RADAR TFC WAS ABEAM SWORD AT ALL AVAILABLE ALTS HOUSTON CTR HAS NO FREQS AND NO RADAR IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS VERY DANGEROUS ERRORS AS WE ARE REQUIRED 15 MIN SEPARATION AT ALT! PLT 1 ADVISED HOUSTON CTR HE WAS NEVER ASSIGNED FL310 AT APPROX XX35Z. PLT 2 NEVER TALKED TO HOUSTON CTR. HE ESTIMATED SWORD AT FL350 ON NY COMMERCIAL RADIO THEN CONTACTED MID CTR AT SWORD!

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.