ARTCC radar controller misjudged the spacing of an medium large transport climbing in his sector with a widebody transport in an adjacent sector. Radar pointout had been made.

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Attributes
ACN	97800
Time
Date	198811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	97800
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20400 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Medium large transport X departed runway 34 at smf, frogo departure landing sna was handed off to me climbing to 11000. I climbed him to FL230. Shortly thereafter (less than 1 min) a sector southwest of mine pointed out widebody transport Y sfo direct lcu climbing high out of 16000. I amended medium large transport X altitude to 17000, believing widebody transport Y would be out of FL180. Unfortunately, I was too busy to closely monitor the situation, and 17000 was the wrong call for medium large transport X. Widebody transport Y was climbing at 800-1000 FPM, medium large transport X over 4500 FPM. Contributing factor being no mode C information was received from medium large transport X until he was leaving 16000. Aircraft passed 3.4 mi apart and 110' vertical.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR MISJUDGED THE SPACING OF AN MLG CLIMBING IN HIS SECTOR WITH A WDB IN AN ADJACENT SECTOR. RADAR POINTOUT HAD BEEN MADE.

Narrative: MLG X DEPARTED RWY 34 AT SMF, FROGO DEP LNDG SNA WAS HANDED OFF TO ME CLBING TO 11000. I CLBED HIM TO FL230. SHORTLY THEREAFTER (LESS THAN 1 MIN) A SECTOR SW OF MINE POINTED OUT WDB Y SFO DIRECT LCU CLBING HIGH OUT OF 16000. I AMENDED MLG X ALT TO 17000, BELIEVING WDB Y WOULD BE OUT OF FL180. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS TOO BUSY TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION, AND 17000 WAS THE WRONG CALL FOR MLG X. WDB Y WAS CLBING AT 800-1000 FPM, MLG X OVER 4500 FPM. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR BEING NO MODE C INFO WAS RECEIVED FROM MLG X UNTIL HE WAS LEAVING 16000. ACFT PASSED 3.4 MI APART AND 110' VERT.

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.