Narrative:

A gulfstream (aircraft X) departed sck for hnl via oak. The pilot checked onto center frequency climbing out of 9000 ft for 10000 ft, requesting higher. Aircraft X was head-on with a brasilia E120 (aircraft Y) 30 mi away climbing to 13000 ft, still in approach control airspace and on approach frequency. Center cleared aircraft X to FL230. Before and after the clearance, aircraft X climbed in excess of 2500 FPM. At abut 12400 ft aircraft X leveled. After the third level radar altitude update (about 24 seconds), center expedited aircraft X through 14000 to FL230 for opposite direction traffic (now about 15 mi away). Aircraft X misread FL240. Center turned aircraft X 20 degrees right and reclred to FL230 and issued a TA. Aircraft X read back the clearance correctly. A few seconds later, aircraft Y checked on frequency at 13000 ft requesting FL230. Center acknowledged the request and turned him 20 degrees right for traffic. After another 20 seconds, aircraft X still appeared to be level and center asked if he was climbing, to which aircraft X said climbing slowly. Center told aircraft X to report leaving 14000 ft (now about 12800 ft and 10 mi from aircraft Y). Center turned aircraft Y right heading 160 degrees (about 70 degrees), then turned aircraft X to heading 340 degrees. Aircraft X read back FL340 questioning. Center reclred turn right heading 340 degrees, climb and maintain FL230, which aircraft X acknowledged and then reported the traffic in sight. Center cleared aircraft X to maintain visual separation from traffic and resume navigation to oak. Aircraft Y then reported aircraft X in sight and center cleared him to FL230 and on course. Minimum separation (5 mi, 1000 ft) was lost before visual attained. About 2 mins later, aircraft X (different voice speaking) requested leveloff for hot brakes. This was the first notification of an aircraft problem. Aircraft X called en route to center to advise they had lowered the gear to cool off gear/brakes. Center had observed the climb of aircraft X before check-on and estimated that he would outclb aircraft Y by 4000 ft before their protected airspace overlapped. When aircraft X leveled, center still thought aircraft X capable of better climb rate and continued to plan of aircraft X getting above aircraft Y. At that time, there was adequate time, distance, and altitude for center to adjust his plan had he known aircraft X would be unable to perform as previously observed. This would probably saved aircraft X the distrs of several amended clrncs and center reissuing missed clrncs. Center could also have let aircraft X have his desire to level earlier and maneuver aircraft Y around him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR VECTORS, BUT CANNOT MAINTAIN LEGAL SEPARATION BTWN CLBING GULF AND 3120 ON XING FLT TRACKS.

Narrative: A GULFSTREAM (ACFT X) DEPARTED SCK FOR HNL VIA OAK. THE PLT CHKED ONTO CTR FREQ CLBING OUT OF 9000 FT FOR 10000 FT, REQUESTING HIGHER. ACFT X WAS HEAD-ON WITH A BRASILIA E120 (ACFT Y) 30 MI AWAY CLBING TO 13000 FT, STILL IN APCH CTL AIRSPACE AND ON APCH FREQ. CTR CLRED ACFT X TO FL230. BEFORE AND AFTER THE CLRNC, ACFT X CLBED IN EXCESS OF 2500 FPM. AT ABUT 12400 FT ACFT X LEVELED. AFTER THE THIRD LEVEL RADAR ALT UPDATE (ABOUT 24 SECONDS), CTR EXPEDITED ACFT X THROUGH 14000 TO FL230 FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC (NOW ABOUT 15 MI AWAY). ACFT X MISREAD FL240. CTR TURNED ACFT X 20 DEGS R AND RECLRED TO FL230 AND ISSUED A TA. ACFT X READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, ACFT Y CHKED ON FREQ AT 13000 FT REQUESTING FL230. CTR ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST AND TURNED HIM 20 DEGS R FOR TFC. AFTER ANOTHER 20 SECONDS, ACFT X STILL APPEARED TO BE LEVEL AND CTR ASKED IF HE WAS CLBING, TO WHICH ACFT X SAID CLBING SLOWLY. CTR TOLD ACFT X TO RPT LEAVING 14000 FT (NOW ABOUT 12800 FT AND 10 MI FROM ACFT Y). CTR TURNED ACFT Y R HDG 160 DEGS (ABOUT 70 DEGS), THEN TURNED ACFT X TO HDG 340 DEGS. ACFT X READ BACK FL340 QUESTIONING. CTR RECLRED TURN R HDG 340 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230, WHICH ACFT X ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT. CTR CLRED ACFT X TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM TFC AND RESUME NAV TO OAK. ACFT Y THEN RPTED ACFT X IN SIGHT AND CTR CLRED HIM TO FL230 AND ON COURSE. MINIMUM SEPARATION (5 MI, 1000 FT) WAS LOST BEFORE VISUAL ATTAINED. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, ACFT X (DIFFERENT VOICE SPEAKING) REQUESTED LEVELOFF FOR HOT BRAKES. THIS WAS THE FIRST NOTIFICATION OF AN ACFT PROB. ACFT X CALLED ENRTE TO CTR TO ADVISE THEY HAD LOWERED THE GEAR TO COOL OFF GEAR/BRAKES. CTR HAD OBSERVED THE CLB OF ACFT X BEFORE CHK-ON AND ESTIMATED THAT HE WOULD OUTCLB ACFT Y BY 4000 FT BEFORE THEIR PROTECTED AIRSPACE OVERLAPPED. WHEN ACFT X LEVELED, CTR STILL THOUGHT ACFT X CAPABLE OF BETTER CLB RATE AND CONTINUED TO PLAN OF ACFT X GETTING ABOVE ACFT Y. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS ADEQUATE TIME, DISTANCE, AND ALT FOR CTR TO ADJUST HIS PLAN HAD HE KNOWN ACFT X WOULD BE UNABLE TO PERFORM AS PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED. THIS WOULD PROBABLY SAVED ACFT X THE DISTRS OF SEVERAL AMENDED CLRNCS AND CTR REISSUING MISSED CLRNCS. CTR COULD ALSO HAVE LET ACFT X HAVE HIS DESIRE TO LEVEL EARLIER AND MANEUVER ACFT Y AROUND HIM.

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.