Narrative:

On a radar vector from friant we xed the lax 24/25 profile descent right 10 mi inside avenal on a speed restriction, and switched from oak to la center. Center turned us back onto the profile right and cleared us to fl 240 pilot's discretion out of FL280, and called out medium large transport air carrier Y southwest of us several mi (center chief later told us he was on a different frequency and different controller). After level FL280, we were told by center, 'cleared los angeles 24/25 profile descent except cross fillmore at or above FL180,' (no reason was given for this restriction). I descended to FL180 and my first officer was handling the radios. This was the last day of a 4 day rotation. We had good rapport. Visibility exceeded 100 mi. After a couple more references to air carrier Y were acknowledged, the first officer saw it disappear well below and behind us, right to left, as we approached fillmore. I never saw it come out on the left side because we arrived over fillmore and I banked to the right for sadde. Just prior to fillmore, I heard center say, 'resume profile descent,' so at my leisure I began a slow descent and, rapidly approaching to fillmore VOR cone of confusion, started a turn toward sadde to intercept the right outbnd from fillmore. The first officer, however, had heard center say 'resume normal speed,' (later corroborated by the acting center chief) but did not notice my slow descent because he was heads up looking for VFR traffic. At 17600', center said (in a normal voice), 'cross fillmore at or above FL180.' but, station passage took place before I could react logically. I leveled then, continued the slow descent until on the right, then completed the profile descent. 2 telecons with the acting center chief revealed that he held me responsible for a center alarm, etc. His controller's were sitting side by side with another controller standing between them. He said his air carrier Y controller had pointed his aircraft at a low altitude chart fix 10 mi northwest of fillmore on the profile right at 17000'. I feel both aircraft should have been on the same frequency or at least using the same controller! Supplemental information from acn 84423: continuing on to lax, we were given a phone number en route and were asked to call center upon arrival lax. Co-pilot phoned center to find out a center alarm had gone off when we were passing overhead fillmore.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACR ACFT. PLT DEVIATION ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: ON A RADAR VECTOR FROM FRIANT WE XED THE LAX 24/25 PROFILE DSCNT R 10 MI INSIDE AVENAL ON A SPD RESTRICTION, AND SWITCHED FROM OAK TO LA CENTER. CENTER TURNED US BACK ONTO THE PROFILE R AND CLRED US TO FL 240 PLT'S DISCRETION OUT OF FL280, AND CALLED OUT MLG ACR Y SW OF US SEVERAL MI (CENTER CHIEF LATER TOLD US HE WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ AND DIFFERENT CTLR). AFTER LEVEL FL280, WE WERE TOLD BY CENTER, 'CLRED LOS ANGELES 24/25 PROFILE DSCNT EXCEPT CROSS FILLMORE AT OR ABOVE FL180,' (NO REASON WAS GIVEN FOR THIS RESTRICTION). I DSNDED TO FL180 AND MY F/O WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS. THIS WAS THE LAST DAY OF A 4 DAY ROTATION. WE HAD GOOD RAPPORT. VIS EXCEEDED 100 MI. AFTER A COUPLE MORE REFERENCES TO ACR Y WERE ACKNOWLEDGED, THE F/O SAW IT DISAPPEAR WELL BELOW AND BEHIND US, RIGHT TO LEFT, AS WE APCHED FILLMORE. I NEVER SAW IT COME OUT ON THE LEFT SIDE BECAUSE WE ARRIVED OVER FILLMORE AND I BANKED TO THE RIGHT FOR SADDE. JUST PRIOR TO FILLMORE, I HEARD CENTER SAY, 'RESUME PROFILE DSCNT,' SO AT MY LEISURE I BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT AND, RAPIDLY APCHING TO FILLMORE VOR CONE OF CONFUSION, STARTED A TURN TOWARD SADDE TO INTERCEPT THE R OUTBND FROM FILLMORE. THE F/O, HOWEVER, HAD HEARD CENTER SAY 'RESUME NORMAL SPD,' (LATER CORROBORATED BY THE ACTING CENTER CHIEF) BUT DID NOT NOTICE MY SLOW DSCNT BECAUSE HE WAS HEADS UP LOOKING FOR VFR TFC. AT 17600', CENTER SAID (IN A NORMAL VOICE), 'CROSS FILLMORE AT OR ABOVE FL180.' BUT, STATION PASSAGE TOOK PLACE BEFORE I COULD REACT LOGICALLY. I LEVELED THEN, CONTINUED THE SLOW DSCNT UNTIL ON THE R, THEN COMPLETED THE PROFILE DSCNT. 2 TELECONS WITH THE ACTING CENTER CHIEF REVEALED THAT HE HELD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR A CENTER ALARM, ETC. HIS CTLR'S WERE SITTING SIDE BY SIDE WITH ANOTHER CTLR STANDING BTWN THEM. HE SAID HIS ACR Y CTLR HAD POINTED HIS ACFT AT A LOW ALT CHART FIX 10 MI NW OF FILLMORE ON THE PROFILE R AT 17000'. I FEEL BOTH ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SAME FREQ OR AT LEAST USING THE SAME CTLR! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84423: CONTINUING ON TO LAX, WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER ENRTE AND WERE ASKED TO CALL CENTER UPON ARR LAX. CO-PLT PHONED CENTER TO FIND OUT A CENTER ALARM HAD GONE OFF WHEN WE WERE PASSING OVERHEAD FILLMORE.

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.