N90 controller lost separation with 2 opposite direction en route aircraft on same airway.

Attributes
ACN	578185
Time
Date	200304
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon tower : abq.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 41
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 non radar : 5 controller radar : 17
ASRS Report	578185
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

2 aircraft opposite direction on same airway. Aircraft did not make assigned frequency change. Both controllers thought other controller had both aircraft. At about 7 mi distance, attempt was made to turn and climb 1 aircraft, and descend the other. Pilots were both slow to answer. 1 aircraft turned and climbed quickly providing a divergence off course. It would have been better had we never allowed them at the same altitude to begin with, but it is typical in a dense environment like this. The pilots did not help in their slow response time and frequency changes were a factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 CTLR LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 OPPOSITE DIRECTION ENRTE ACFT ON SAME AIRWAY.

Narrative: 2 ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON SAME AIRWAY. ACFT DID NOT MAKE ASSIGNED FREQ CHANGE. BOTH CTLRS THOUGHT OTHER CTLR HAD BOTH ACFT. AT ABOUT 7 MI DISTANCE, ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO TURN AND CLB 1 ACFT, AND DSND THE OTHER. PLTS WERE BOTH SLOW TO ANSWER. 1 ACFT TURNED AND CLBED QUICKLY PROVIDING A DIVERGENCE OFF COURSE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD WE NEVER ALLOWED THEM AT THE SAME ALT TO BEGIN WITH, BUT IT IS TYPICAL IN A DENSE ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS. THE PLTS DID NOT HELP IN THEIR SLOW RESPONSE TIME AND FREQ CHANGES WERE A FACTOR.

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.