Reporter operational error involving an air carrier B757 and a cpr LR55 at FL390.

Attributes
ACN	385283
Time
Date	199711
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jhw
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 39000 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
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
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 55
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 100
ASRS Report	385283
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 flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Traffic was flowing smoothly when ZNY stopped traffic to ewr. Controller was directed to rerte 3 aircraft destin ewr north through ZBW airspace (to avoid holding). As aircraft were being extensively vectored and new routing issued, a conflict ensued between 2 aircraft. Pilot (B757) advised of traffic and action was taken. This traffic conflict would never have come to fruition had the aircraft been held in the published holding pattern as we do every day. It would appear that the directive to rerte was a bad decision that tremendously magnified the complexity of a dozen or more aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR OPERROR INVOLVING AN ACR B757 AND A CPR LR55 AT FL390.

Narrative: TFC WAS FLOWING SMOOTHLY WHEN ZNY STOPPED TFC TO EWR. CTLR WAS DIRECTED TO RERTE 3 ACFT DESTIN EWR N THROUGH ZBW AIRSPACE (TO AVOID HOLDING). AS ACFT WERE BEING EXTENSIVELY VECTORED AND NEW ROUTING ISSUED, A CONFLICT ENSUED BTWN 2 ACFT. PLT (B757) ADVISED OF TFC AND ACTION WAS TAKEN. THIS TFC CONFLICT WOULD NEVER HAVE COME TO FRUITION HAD THE ACFT BEEN HELD IN THE PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN AS WE DO EVERY DAY. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE DIRECTIVE TO RERTE WAS A BAD DECISION THAT TREMENDOUSLY MAGNIFIED THE COMPLEXITY OF A DOZEN OR MORE ACFT.

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.