I fail to understand the reluctance in the US to use standard phraseology and procedures. In this instance it may have made a huge difference to its handling by both ATC and pilots involved.
And, in common with other recent incidents, a crossed transmission, which was easily identified by those listening to off-air recordings, may have been completely unknown to the controller. I commented on this previously but I don't think anyone came up with an answer, but (in the US) does the controller hear an off-air rx feed?
Originally Posted by BFSGrad
It appears this would be a loss of separation but what is the separation standard for this circumstance
Perhaps rather strangely, it's quite possible that standard separation was maintained through most, and maybe all, of this incident. There are a wide range of separation standards - in these circumstances, the rule for a controller is to have one one of those standards in place at all times. Talking separation could be a bit of a red herring when compared to weaknesses in basic traffic management.