Narrative:

I was e-w arrival/final combined at rdu TRACON. I call ZDC for approval of military overflt traffic at 10000 ft and asked the center how they wanted him (military X, F-14). The center controller said leave him at 10000 ft, and ZDC would descend air carrier Y, a DC9 to 9000 ft and air carrier Z to 8000 ft. I gave a handoff to north departure radar on military X. I later took handoffs on air carrier Z descending to 8000 ft and air carrier Y descending to 9000 ft, speed 470-480 KTS. Air carrier Y was high and I was concerned that he wouldn't get below military X. I called ZDC and told him to turn air carrier Y to a heading of 120 degrees (left turn) to insure separation. Air carrier Y was told to be at 9000 ft in 30 seconds by the ZDC controller and to delete the 250 KTS speed restr at 10000 ft. Air carrier Y took this to be an emergency situation, made a rapid descent to 9000 ft. I saw the data tag 8700 ft, then 8500 ft about the same time air carrier Z asked about the traffic (he never said TCASII, but I think this may have alerted). I told him to maintain visual and fly heading 180 degrees. Air carrier Y should have been assigned a heading of 120 degrees from center. I had notified ZDC several times to let them know I was not talking to air carrier Y. Center responded that he would separate them. When air carrier Y checked in I asked him to verify assigned altitude. He replied 9000 ft and I told him to maintain 9000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OPERATIONAL ERROR WAS RPTED BY A RDU TRACON APCH CTLR WHEN A HDG WAS NOT ISSUED BY ZDC ARTCC TO AN ARR LNDG AT RDU.

Narrative: I WAS E-W ARR/FINAL COMBINED AT RDU TRACON. I CALL ZDC FOR APPROVAL OF MIL OVERFLT TFC AT 10000 FT AND ASKED THE CTR HOW THEY WANTED HIM (MIL X, F-14). THE CTR CTLR SAID LEAVE HIM AT 10000 FT, AND ZDC WOULD DSND ACR Y, A DC9 TO 9000 FT AND ACR Z TO 8000 FT. I GAVE A HDOF TO N DEP RADAR ON MIL X. I LATER TOOK HDOFS ON ACR Z DSNDING TO 8000 FT AND ACR Y DSNDING TO 9000 FT, SPD 470-480 KTS. ACR Y WAS HIGH AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WOULDN'T GET BELOW MIL X. I CALLED ZDC AND TOLD HIM TO TURN ACR Y TO A HDG OF 120 DEGS (L TURN) TO INSURE SEPARATION. ACR Y WAS TOLD TO BE AT 9000 FT IN 30 SECONDS BY THE ZDC CTLR AND TO DELETE THE 250 KTS SPD RESTR AT 10000 FT. ACR Y TOOK THIS TO BE AN EMER SIT, MADE A RAPID DSCNT TO 9000 FT. I SAW THE DATA TAG 8700 FT, THEN 8500 FT ABOUT THE SAME TIME ACR Z ASKED ABOUT THE TFC (HE NEVER SAID TCASII, BUT I THINK THIS MAY HAVE ALERTED). I TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN VISUAL AND FLY HDG 180 DEGS. ACR Y SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A HDG OF 120 DEGS FROM CTR. I HAD NOTIFIED ZDC SEVERAL TIMES TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS NOT TALKING TO ACR Y. CTR RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD SEPARATE THEM. WHEN ACR Y CHKED IN I ASKED HIM TO VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT. HE REPLIED 9000 FT AND I TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT.

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.