Narrative:

I had a radar trnee at the rebel high altitude sector at the ZID ARTCC. In the last 4 months, we have had a recurring problem when radar training is in progress. When a tracker is necessary due to vol or complexity at the sector, the trainer and trnee need to switch to another jack to talk to the airplanes. Whenever the instrument would try to override the trnee, the frequency would blow a fuse and become useless to the controller. On this sat afternoon we were getting busy, so my trnee asked for a tracker. After we repositioned, the trnee continued to work the frequency. Traffic was increasing in complexity and there were several situations that needed monitoring. Air carrier X was northbound at FL310 en route to dtw. Air carrier Y was swbnd at FL310 landing bna. The trnee descended air carrier Y to FL290, then went on separating other traffic. Everyone at the sector, myself included, considered this conflict resolved. However, air carrier Y was only descending 500 FPM, so conflict alert activated about 90 seconds after the initial clearance. My trnee told the pilot to expedite and be level in 1 min or less for traffic, and then descended him to FL280. The pilot complained and said it would be nice to have a 'little more advanced warning.' I then keyed the microphone to issue a turn to ensure sep and proceeded to blow the fuse and lose the frequency. We have an overhead boom jack for the frequency that had always previously worked in this situation, but it didn't this time. Arwy facs got our frequency back in less than a minute, but not before we lost sep.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACR WHILE IN DESCENT.

Narrative: I HAD A RADAR TRNEE AT THE REBEL HIGH ALT SECTOR AT THE ZID ARTCC. IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS, WE HAVE HAD A RECURRING PROB WHEN RADAR TRNING IS IN PROGRESS. WHEN A TRACKER IS NECESSARY DUE TO VOL OR COMPLEXITY AT THE SECTOR, THE TRAINER AND TRNEE NEED TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER JACK TO TALK TO THE AIRPLANES. WHENEVER THE INSTR WOULD TRY TO OVERRIDE THE TRNEE, THE FREQ WOULD BLOW A FUSE AND BECOME USELESS TO THE CTLR. ON THIS SAT AFTERNOON WE WERE GETTING BUSY, SO MY TRNEE ASKED FOR A TRACKER. AFTER WE REPOSITIONED, THE TRNEE CONTINUED TO WORK THE FREQ. TFC WAS INCREASING IN COMPLEXITY AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SITUATIONS THAT NEEDED MONITORING. ACR X WAS NBOUND AT FL310 ENRTE TO DTW. ACR Y WAS SWBND AT FL310 LNDG BNA. THE TRNEE DSNDED ACR Y TO FL290, THEN WENT ON SEPARATING OTHER TFC. EVERYONE AT THE SECTOR, MYSELF INCLUDED, CONSIDERED THIS CONFLICT RESOLVED. HOWEVER, ACR Y WAS ONLY DSNDING 500 FPM, SO CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED ABOUT 90 SECS AFTER THE INITIAL CLRNC. MY TRNEE TOLD THE PLT TO EXPEDITE AND BE LEVEL IN 1 MIN OR LESS FOR TFC, AND THEN DSNDED HIM TO FL280. THE PLT COMPLAINED AND SAID IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A 'LITTLE MORE ADVANCED WARNING.' I THEN KEYED THE MIC TO ISSUE A TURN TO ENSURE SEP AND PROCEEDED TO BLOW THE FUSE AND LOSE THE FREQ. WE HAVE AN OVERHEAD BOOM JACK FOR THE FREQ THAT HAD ALWAYS PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN THIS SITUATION, BUT IT DIDN'T THIS TIME. ARWY FACS GOT OUR FREQ BACK IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, BUT NOT BEFORE WE LOST SEP.

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.