Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Procedure; Aircraft; Human Factors
This is actually 2 events. First; on the departure off ZZZ1 there were 3 aircraft in trail climbing out: Air Carrier W; then Air Carrier X (aircraft 1); then Air Carrier Y (aircraft 2). ZZZ1 Approach issued Air Carrier Y 250 KTS to keep in trail spacing behind Air Carrier X. Air Carrier Y overtook Air Carrier X despite the speed restriction of 250 KTS. I was training an R-Side Developmental at the time. He issued 270 KTS to Air Carrier X and then I keyed up and issued Air Carrier Y 30 degrees left. We also stopped the Air Carrier Y at FL180; and requested a report out of FL190 on Air Carrier X. It seems that either Air Carrier Y was going faster than 250 KTS or Air Carrier X was climbing at a reduced rate of 220 KTS or maybe even less. We did not ask the pilot of Air Carrier X his climbing speed. Separation was about 5 miles or 1;000 FT; but it was close to being a loss of separation. Meanwhile; another sector called to point out an Emergency aircraft that was descending at a rapid rate. They said he was descending to 16;000 FT. I informed him of traffic; Air Carrier Y at FL180. The emergency aircraft was descending so quickly that the altitude was XXX'ed out. He said that a different Sector was actually talking to him. Called traffic to the Air Carrier Y; informing him that the emergency would be descending through his altitude. The other sector called back to say that the emergency was through 13;000 FT. Air Carrier Y never reported the Emergency aircraft in sight. Be aware of reduced rates of speed during the climbing portion of the flight.
Enroute Controller providing OJT described a near loss of separation event when two in trail departure aircraft varied from expected speeds. The situation was complicated by an emergency aircraft descending at a very rapid rate.