OPERROR.

Narrative

ACFT INVOLVED; A C130 INBOUND TO ECG FLYING NE AT 15000 FT AND A DASH 8 DEP FROM EWN TO CLT. THERE WERE OTHER ACFT ON FREQ THAT REQUIRED CONTINUOUS ATTN. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE LOSS OF SEPARATION. I RECEIVED A HDOF FROM NKT APCH ON ACR X WITH A REQUEST FOR DIRECT FLO. DIRECT FLO WAS APPROVED. ACR X RPTED ON FREQ CLBING TO 10000 FT AND WAS CLRED TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT. I TAKE A HDOF ON MIL Y WHO RPTS ON MY FREQ LEVEL 15000 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGE AND IMMEDIATELY ISSUE ACR X AMENDED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. I APPARENTLY FAILED TO LISTEN FOR THE READ-BACK AND THINKING THE SIT RESOLVED RETURN TO SEPARATING THE TFC AT PGV. I HAD NOT UPDATED THE DATA-TAG ON ACR X BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO CLB THE ACFT AFTER HE WAS CLR OF MIL Y I TURNED MY ATTN TO PGV BUT CONTINUED TO CHK ON THE MIL Y AND ACR X SO THAT I MIGHT CONTINUE THE ACR X'S CLB. I OBSERVED ACR X'S ALT READOUT AT 14300 FT AND BELIEVE THE READOUT TO BE IN ERROR UNTIL THE NEXT READOUT OF 14500 FT. I ISSUED CLRNC AGAIN TO ACR X TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. THIS TIME THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND A VISUAL OBSERVATION OF THE TFC BY ACR X. STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST. FAILURE TO LISTEN FOR THE READ-BACK AND ALLOWING OTHER SITS TO DIVERT MY ATTN FROM THE READ-BACK WERE THE PRIME CAUSES OF THIS ERROR. PAYING ATTN TO THAT READ-BACK COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT.