Narrative:

Air carrier X climbing to FL310. Air carrier Y level at FL290 was on airways to sju. X was issued direct routing by previous controller this put his flight path head-on to Y. X climbed through altitude of Y. When I checked the flight paths it appeared to me that they would pass with not less than 5 mi. I continued working aircraft in the sector and just as I came back to check these aircraft again, Y asked if I had traffic for him. I issued the traffic at 1 O'clock 10 mi climbing out of FL290. I issued traffic to X at 1 O'clock 5 mi when he indicated out of FL295. Y indicated they were too close and I then notified the supervisor. I believed up until the occurrence that the aircraft would pass safely by 5 mi. Recommendations: no 5 mi bubble at this facility. We must rely on a computer entry that requires us to make a keyboard entry then slew to each target and enter each time for the distance. This is time consuming and based on accuracy of the slew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLBED THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X CLBING TO FL310. ACR Y LEVEL AT FL290 WAS ON AIRWAYS TO SJU. X WAS ISSUED DIRECT ROUTING BY PREVIOUS CTLR THIS PUT HIS FLT PATH HEAD-ON TO Y. X CLBED THROUGH ALT OF Y. WHEN I CHKED THE FLT PATHS IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THEY WOULD PASS WITH NOT LESS THAN 5 MI. I CONTINUED WORKING ACFT IN THE SECTOR AND JUST AS I CAME BACK TO CHK THESE ACFT AGAIN, Y ASKED IF I HAD TFC FOR HIM. I ISSUED THE TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK 10 MI CLBING OUT OF FL290. I ISSUED TFC TO X AT 1 O'CLOCK 5 MI WHEN HE INDICATED OUT OF FL295. Y INDICATED THEY WERE TOO CLOSE AND I THEN NOTIFIED THE SUPVR. I BELIEVED UP UNTIL THE OCCURRENCE THAT THE ACFT WOULD PASS SAFELY BY 5 MI. RECOMMENDATIONS: NO 5 MI BUBBLE AT THIS FACILITY. WE MUST RELY ON A COMPUTER ENTRY THAT REQUIRES US TO MAKE A KEYBOARD ENTRY THEN SLEW TO EACH TARGET AND ENTER EACH TIME FOR THE DISTANCE. THIS IS TIME CONSUMING AND BASED ON ACCURACY OF THE SLEW.

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.