ARTCC radar controller at ZOB issued instructions intended to diverge same direction traffic to maintain separation, but both aircraft may have turned right resulting in a loss of separation.

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Attributes
ACN	454991
Time
Date	199911
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 16 controller military : 18 controller radar : 14 controller time certified in position1 : 16
ASRS Report	454991
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	454989
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 5
Miss Distance	horizontal : 27000 vertical : 1600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working the radar associate position at the irl sector. Traffic was extremely busy and complex. An overtake was not noticed until aircraft were approximately 6 mi apart. Action was taken by radar controller. At this time both aircraft were turned and one was descended. The actions were not timely enough to prevent an operational error. The complexity and the volume of traffic make this an extremely difficult sector. Many control actions are required with little time to analyze sits causing mistakes in oversights and judgement. Supplemental information from acn 454989: extremely busy sector. Same direction overtake situation. When problem is realized, one aircraft is turned left, the other one right. Both aircraft turn right and separation is lost. At this point don't know whether wrong direction was given to a pilot or whether he simply turned the wrong way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR AT ZOB ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS INTENDED TO DIVERGE SAME DIRECTION TFC TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION, BUT BOTH ACFT MAY HAVE TURNED R RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS AT THE IRL SECTOR. TFC WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND COMPLEX. AN OVERTAKE WAS NOT NOTICED UNTIL ACFT WERE APPROX 6 MI APART. ACTION WAS TAKEN BY RADAR CTLR. AT THIS TIME BOTH ACFT WERE TURNED AND ONE WAS DSNDED. THE ACTIONS WERE NOT TIMELY ENOUGH TO PREVENT AN OPERROR. THE COMPLEXITY AND THE VOLUME OF TFC MAKE THIS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SECTOR. MANY CTL ACTIONS ARE REQUIRED WITH LITTLE TIME TO ANALYZE SITS CAUSING MISTAKES IN OVERSIGHTS AND JUDGEMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 454989: EXTREMELY BUSY SECTOR. SAME DIRECTION OVERTAKE SIT. WHEN PROB IS REALIZED, ONE ACFT IS TURNED L, THE OTHER ONE R. BOTH ACFT TURN R AND SEPARATION IS LOST. AT THIS POINT DON'T KNOW WHETHER WRONG DIRECTION WAS GIVEN TO A PLT OR WHETHER HE SIMPLY TURNED THE WRONG WAY.

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.