Reporter was distraction and assumed aircraft X was climbing to 7000 ft. Unbeknownst to reporter, aircraft X had leveled off at 3000 ft and was in conflict with aircraft Y. Separation was lost resulting in an operational error.

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Attributes
ACN	441068
Time
Date	199906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : aml.vor
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	441068
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Aircraft X departed runway 19L on the wrong frequency. I radar idented aircraft and instructed him to switch to 125.05 -- the frequency he should have been on. Aircraft X was also on the incorrect beacon code. After getting him on the correct code and acquiring a full data block, I turned aircraft X northbound under the belief he was climbing to 7000 ft. Several distrs contributed to me not knowing aircraft X had leveled off at 3000 ft. Once the conflict alert went off and the data blocks separated, I observed aircraft was still at 3000 ft. I immediately climbed aircraft X to 7000 ft and reported the incident to the operational supervisor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WAS DISTR AND ASSUMED ACFT X WAS CLBING TO 7000 FT. UNBEKNOWNST TO RPTR, ACFT X HAD LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT AND WAS IN CONFLICT WITH ACFT Y. SEPARATION WAS LOST RESULTING IN AN OPERROR.

Narrative: ACFT X DEPARTED RWY 19L ON THE WRONG FREQ. I RADAR IDENTED ACFT AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO SWITCH TO 125.05 -- THE FREQ HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON. ACFT X WAS ALSO ON THE INCORRECT BEACON CODE. AFTER GETTING HIM ON THE CORRECT CODE AND ACQUIRING A FULL DATA BLOCK, I TURNED ACFT X NBOUND UNDER THE BELIEF HE WAS CLBING TO 7000 FT. SEVERAL DISTRS CONTRIBUTED TO ME NOT KNOWING ACFT X HAD LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT. ONCE THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF AND THE DATA BLOCKS SEPARATED, I OBSERVED ACFT WAS STILL AT 3000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED ACFT X TO 7000 FT AND RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE OPERATIONAL SUPVR.

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.