Narrative:

While working yardley sector at philadelphia tower, I was vectoring a trenton tower departure toward ditch intersection. The departure, a falcon cpr jet, needed to climb through philadelphia north arrival airspace. I coordinated with north arrival to climb the falcon and turn him toward ditch intersection. I told the controller working that sector I would miss all his traffic. When I released the falcon, I also released a citation routed over pottstown VORTAC. I told the controller at trenton to turn the citation to a 270 degree heading, and climb him to 4000 ft. At this time, the falcon was on a 240 degree heading and climbing first to 6000 ft, then to 7000 ft, eventually I wanted to have the falcon at 9000 ft to handoff to south departure. When the overlying airspace is controled by ZDC, we call it the 'tub.' I had to keep the falcon down until he was clear of the ZDC airspace. When the falcon reached 7000 ft, I turned him sbound toward ditch intersection. At that time, I planned to climb him to 20000 ft when he cleared the 'tub.' the trenton citation had just departed. The citation checked in at 2000 ft on runway heading, heading toward new york approach airspace. I turned the citation and asked the trenton controllers if they had turned the citation. The falcon was still heading sbound at 7000 ft because I hadn't gone back ot climb him. At the same time, a dash 8 at 7000 ft was heading toward robbinsville VORTAC at 7000 ft. The south departure controller had come over and asked if the falcon and dash 8 were all right. I looked at the display and couldn't tell if they were separated, so I climbed the falcon to 8000 ft and turned him to 270 degrees, to make sure he passed behind the dash 8. The conflict alert never went off and the pilot didn't report any TCASII alert. I believe they were separated, but, I took the action to make sure. In the future, I will ask the north arrival controller if he has any robbinsville traffic at 7000 ft before I say I will miss all his traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL ATCT MISJUDGES SEPARATION WITH DH8 WHILE VECTORING A FA10 THROUGH 3 OTHER CTLRS' AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING YARDLEY SECTOR AT PHILADELPHIA TWR, I WAS VECTORING A TRENTON TWR DEP TOWARD DITCH INTXN. THE DEP, A FALCON CPR JET, NEEDED TO CLB THROUGH PHILADELPHIA N ARR AIRSPACE. I COORDINATED WITH N ARR TO CLB THE FALCON AND TURN HIM TOWARD DITCH INTXN. I TOLD THE CTLR WORKING THAT SECTOR I WOULD MISS ALL HIS TFC. WHEN I RELEASED THE FALCON, I ALSO RELEASED A CITATION ROUTED OVER POTTSTOWN VORTAC. I TOLD THE CTLR AT TRENTON TO TURN THE CITATION TO A 270 DEG HDG, AND CLB HIM TO 4000 FT. AT THIS TIME, THE FALCON WAS ON A 240 DEG HDG AND CLBING FIRST TO 6000 FT, THEN TO 7000 FT, EVENTUALLY I WANTED TO HAVE THE FALCON AT 9000 FT TO HDOF TO S DEP. WHEN THE OVERLYING AIRSPACE IS CTLED BY ZDC, WE CALL IT THE 'TUB.' I HAD TO KEEP THE FALCON DOWN UNTIL HE WAS CLR OF THE ZDC AIRSPACE. WHEN THE FALCON REACHED 7000 FT, I TURNED HIM SBOUND TOWARD DITCH INTXN. AT THAT TIME, I PLANNED TO CLB HIM TO 20000 FT WHEN HE CLRED THE 'TUB.' THE TRENTON CITATION HAD JUST DEPARTED. THE CITATION CHKED IN AT 2000 FT ON RWY HEADING, HEADING TOWARD NEW YORK APCH AIRSPACE. I TURNED THE CITATION AND ASKED THE TRENTON CTLRS IF THEY HAD TURNED THE CITATION. THE FALCON WAS STILL HEADING SBOUND AT 7000 FT BECAUSE I HADN'T GONE BACK OT CLB HIM. AT THE SAME TIME, A DASH 8 AT 7000 FT WAS HEADING TOWARD ROBBINSVILLE VORTAC AT 7000 FT. THE S DEP CTLR HAD COME OVER AND ASKED IF THE FALCON AND DASH 8 WERE ALL RIGHT. I LOOKED AT THE DISPLAY AND COULDN'T TELL IF THEY WERE SEPARATED, SO I CLBED THE FALCON TO 8000 FT AND TURNED HIM TO 270 DEGS, TO MAKE SURE HE PASSED BEHIND THE DASH 8. THE CONFLICT ALERT NEVER WENT OFF AND THE PLT DIDN'T RPT ANY TCASII ALERT. I BELIEVE THEY WERE SEPARATED, BUT, I TOOK THE ACTION TO MAKE SURE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ASK THE N ARR CTLR IF HE HAS ANY ROBBINSVILLE TFC AT 7000 FT BEFORE I SAY I WILL MISS ALL HIS TFC.

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.