Less than standard separation between military aircraft and air carrier. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	84422
Time
Date	198803
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ict airport : iab
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 11700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ict
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Trainer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : ict
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	84422
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier Y was on J19 climbing to FL230. Military X was on runway heading off iab climbing to 12000'. The aircraft were on conflicting courses, but air carrier Y's mode C indicated more than 3000' above military X. I gave traffic to X. The traffic was air carrier Y at 10 O'clock, 1 mi, northeast bound climbing out of 11500'. Military X's mode C indicated 9600'. Military X said he had traffic in sight. The next sweep X's mode C indicated 11700'. Recommendations: decombine radar positions when traffic is heavy (I worked 17 aircraft in a 10 min time period). The situation occurred because I didn't stop X at an altitude below air carrier Y, and because the lagging mode C of X gave me a false sense of security thinking X was 2000' below air carrier Y.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN MIL ACFT AND ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: ACR Y WAS ON J19 CLBING TO FL230. MIL X WAS ON RWY HDG OFF IAB CLBING TO 12000'. THE ACFT WERE ON CONFLICTING COURSES, BUT ACR Y'S MODE C INDICATED MORE THAN 3000' ABOVE MIL X. I GAVE TFC TO X. THE TFC WAS ACR Y AT 10 O'CLOCK, 1 MI, NE BOUND CLBING OUT OF 11500'. MIL X'S MODE C INDICATED 9600'. MIL X SAID HE HAD TFC IN SIGHT. THE NEXT SWEEP X'S MODE C INDICATED 11700'. RECOMMENDATIONS: DECOMBINE RADAR POSITIONS WHEN TFC IS HEAVY (I WORKED 17 ACFT IN A 10 MIN TIME PERIOD). THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE I DIDN'T STOP X AT AN ALT BELOW ACR Y, AND BECAUSE THE LAGGING MODE C OF X GAVE ME A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THINKING X WAS 2000' BELOW ACR Y.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.