Date: 201712
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: NCT.TRACON, CA
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class E NCT
ATC / advisory: TRACON NCT
Second aircraft: Super King Air 350
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Approach
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Workload; Training / Qualification
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Automation Air Traffic Control; Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was working Morgan and Turlock combined which is a relatively large amount of airspace with a big area to scan. I took a point out from the SECA Controller on a Beechcraft Super King Air 350. As a Morgan controller; I take numerous point outs from SECA; which originate out of MRY that are typically going south bound and clipping my airspace and are out of the way of my SJC arrivals that come from the south. There are now routes in place; from MRY going south; to protect against the SJC arrivals and I thought that was what the point out indicated.I was verbally coordinating with ZOA 16/22 about two point outs that were taking place near the SUNOL/TURLOCK/16/22 boundary which is on the opposite side of the radar scope and didn`t see the conflict developing. I got further distracted when one of the point outs I took started an automated handoff to me; and my attention was directed far away from the conflict. I was trying to figure out whether to call ZOA 16/22 about the issue; but instead took the handoff and initiated an automated handoff to stop the flashing on my scope. Soon after; I got a call from ZOA saying they were stopping and turning the King Air to avoid a B737 and then the conflict alert was going off. My attention focused on the conflict; but at this point; there was nothing I could do to regain separation.First off; I took the point out and I am responsible for this event...I`m not trying to place blame but I feel these two things also contributed to the event. I had a huge expectation bias that the SECA controller would not run a departure opposite the SJC arrivals. As a SECA controller myself; when I point out aircraft to Morgan for aircraft going south I always stay out of the way of the SJC arrivals.First; the SECA controller is recently certified and doesn't have any other sectors so their knowledge of where to be and where not to be with traffic outside of their airspace is limited. When I asked the SECA controller why they short cut the aircraft instead of leaving them on the standard routing which has built in protection for events like this they said that the standard routing was taking him out of the way of his destination. He didn't seem to grasp that by short cutting the aircraft he was putting aircraft in potential conflict. There is a small contingent of AREA A controllers that feel the need to short cut aircraft instead of leaving them on route no matter what impact of conflict is created when done. If the SECA controller had just left the aircraft on route this would have never happened.Second; Working Morgan and Turlock combined can be a challenge when traffic and conflicts develop on opposites sides of the scope. It is a huge scan and one can easily be focused on traffic 80 miles away from developing conflicts. To avoid this re-occurrence; I must be vigilant; read and scan the data blocks of automated point outs; and verify that they are flying as the data block indicates.




Synopsis: NCT TRACON Controller reported accepting a point out on an MRY departure; which conflicted with an SJC arrival. The reporter attributed this incident to an expectation bias; fellow Controller's inexperience; and a heavy workload of a combined sector.