Narrative:

The sector was fairly slow. All other sectors were split off. There were a total of 7 planes in sector with 2 or so non-radar SVFR aircraft working into ani. The C441 is a non-rvsm aircraft that was flying from czf-sqa on its way to anc. Zan allowas non-rvsm aircraft into the rvsm stratum. When I scanned for potential conflicts, my initial perception in evaluation of aircraft Y was the aircraft was at FL290, needs 1000 ft and is right for direction. No potential conflicts. When I took the handoff from sector 5 on air carrier X, my initial perception was that air carrier X is rvsm, needs 1000 ft, is right for direction, is level at FL300, no potential conflicts.(there is no buffer zone between the different altitude stratus.) when air carrier X finally initiated contact, it was about 8 mi away from aircraft Y, opposite courses. Air carrier X did come over late, about 10-20 mi inside my sector boundary, which might have contributed to the delay in recognizing the conflict. Upon talking to air carrier X, I recognized the conflict between the aircraft, which assumes we need 2000 ft for the DC10, since the C441 was non-rvsm. I initiated 50 degree turns to both aircraft: the C441 delayed turning, questioning the clearance and the DC10 only turned 15 degrees. I missed the readback from the DC10 because it occurred when the C441 questioned the turn. The aircraft were on different frequencys. Sector 13 has 5 frequencys. There is no warning system available to assist controllers to identify potential rvsm/non-rvsm conflicts. If the C441 had been above FL290, I would have idented a need for 2000 ft separation. We never had to worry about aircraft at FL300 before. The ATP 7110.65 is vague ATP in describing the separation requirements. Each aircraft, upon initial inspection, require 1000 ft, a very easy and much repeated mistake. A simple solution would be to prevent non-rvsm aircraft from flying above FL280. Zan allowas non-rvsm above FL290, uses both conventional and non-conventional assignment of altitudes FL310, FL330, FL350 versus FL300, FL310, FL320, as well as meters, for aircraft transitioning to russia.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR IS CONCERNED THAT NON-RVSM (REDUCED VERT SEPARATION MINIMUM) ACFT ARE BEING ALLOWED TO USE THE RVSM ROUTES.

Narrative: THE SECTOR WAS FAIRLY SLOW. ALL OTHER SECTORS WERE SPLIT OFF. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 7 PLANES IN SECTOR WITH 2 OR SO NON-RADAR SVFR ACFT WORKING INTO ANI. THE C441 IS A NON-RVSM ACFT THAT WAS FLYING FROM CZF-SQA ON ITS WAY TO ANC. ZAN ALLOWAS NON-RVSM ACFT INTO THE RVSM STRATUM. WHEN I SCANNED FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS, MY INITIAL PERCEPTION IN EVALUATION OF ACFT Y WAS THE ACFT WAS AT FL290, NEEDS 1000 FT AND IS R FOR DIRECTION. NO POTENTIAL CONFLICTS. WHEN I TOOK THE HDOF FROM SECTOR 5 ON ACR X, MY INITIAL PERCEPTION WAS THAT ACR X IS RVSM, NEEDS 1000 FT, IS R FOR DIRECTION, IS LEVEL AT FL300, NO POTENTIAL CONFLICTS.(THERE IS NO BUFFER ZONE BTWN THE DIFFERENT ALT STRATUS.) WHEN ACR X FINALLY INITIATED CONTACT, IT WAS ABOUT 8 MI AWAY FROM ACFT Y, OPPOSITE COURSES. ACR X DID COME OVER LATE, ABOUT 10-20 MI INSIDE MY SECTOR BOUNDARY, WHICH MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DELAY IN RECOGNIZING THE CONFLICT. UPON TALKING TO ACR X, I RECOGNIZED THE CONFLICT BTWN THE ACFT, WHICH ASSUMES WE NEED 2000 FT FOR THE DC10, SINCE THE C441 WAS NON-RVSM. I INITIATED 50 DEG TURNS TO BOTH ACFT: THE C441 DELAYED TURNING, QUESTIONING THE CLRNC AND THE DC10 ONLY TURNED 15 DEGS. I MISSED THE READBACK FROM THE DC10 BECAUSE IT OCCURRED WHEN THE C441 QUESTIONED THE TURN. THE ACFT WERE ON DIFFERENT FREQS. SECTOR 13 HAS 5 FREQS. THERE IS NO WARNING SYS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST CTLRS TO IDENT POTENTIAL RVSM/NON-RVSM CONFLICTS. IF THE C441 HAD BEEN ABOVE FL290, I WOULD HAVE IDENTED A NEED FOR 2000 FT SEPARATION. WE NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT ACFT AT FL300 BEFORE. THE ATP 7110.65 IS VAGUE ATP IN DESCRIBING THE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS. EACH ACFT, UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, REQUIRE 1000 FT, A VERY EASY AND MUCH REPEATED MISTAKE. A SIMPLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO PREVENT NON-RVSM ACFT FROM FLYING ABOVE FL280. ZAN ALLOWAS NON-RVSM ABOVE FL290, USES BOTH CONVENTIONAL AND NON-CONVENTIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF ALTS FL310, FL330, FL350 VERSUS FL300, FL310, FL320, AS WELL AS METERS, FOR ACFT TRANSITIONING TO RUSSIA.

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.