Narrative:

Altitude airspace deviation occurred when air carrier X entered hou approach at 11000' prior to coordination of this altitude change. Air carrier X was from btr to iaff via sbi sbi 4 iah. Coa 581 was descended to FL210 for slow moving swbnd traffic at FL200. When coa 581 reported reaching FL210, the aircraft was turned to a 270 degree heading and the pilot advised it would be difficult to cross smith intersection at 9000' on the arrival. The overflt traffic at FL200 was turned to a 180 degree heading for this traffic. Coordination was then made with the east arrival sector at hou approach for air carrier X to cross smith intersection at 10000'. Immediately after air carrier X was latitude clear of the overflt traffic at FL200, the pilot was assigned a heading of 250 degrees to intercept the humble (iah) 106 degree right and the sabine 4 arrival, and to descend and cross smith intersection at 10000', and to delete the speed restriction. The pilot of air carrier X acknowledged the clearance and advised that it would be tight, but he would do his best. I then turned air carrier X to a 230 degree heading to intercept the iah 106 degree right for additional flying room. I initiated an automated handoff to hou approach control and attempted to point out the aircraft to the east departure sector at hou approach. After no response from my first call, I attempted a second call saying, 'trios 75 line, point out.' there was an immediate response of 'unable,' west/O identify of position or operating initials. As per ATC procedure requirements against aircraft entering another facility west/O proper coordination, I turned air carrier X to a 200 degree heading. When air carrier X was established on the 200 degree heading, I became aware of the potential for loss of sep between air carrier X and air carrier Y level at 10000' on the filco 1 arrival to hou, and already switched over to hou approach. As I called air carrier X to stop descent at 11000', the pilot of air carrier X reported he had traffic at 12 O'clock at about his altitude. I confirmed the traffic and assigned air carrier X 11000' and right turn to a 270 degree heading since I had additional traffic following air carrier Y on the gilco 1 arrival, descending to 10000'. Air carrier X reported traffic in sight and leaving 10500' for 11000' and made the right turn. I then turned air carrier X further right to a 300 degree heading as the pilot reported level at 11000'. At this time, air carrier X had already entered hou approach airspace and I coordinated with the east arrival controller the 11000' on air carrier X above air carrier Y who was at 10000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ENTERED IAH APCH CTL AIRSPACE AT 11000' WITHOUT PRIOR COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: ALT AIRSPACE DEVIATION OCCURRED WHEN ACR X ENTERED HOU APCH AT 11000' PRIOR TO COORD OF THIS ALT CHANGE. ACR X WAS FROM BTR TO IAFF VIA SBI SBI 4 IAH. COA 581 WAS DSNDED TO FL210 FOR SLOW MOVING SWBND TFC AT FL200. WHEN COA 581 RPTED REACHING FL210, THE ACFT WAS TURNED TO A 270 DEG HDG AND THE PLT ADVISED IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CROSS SMITH INTXN AT 9000' ON THE ARR. THE OVERFLT TFC AT FL200 WAS TURNED TO A 180 DEG HDG FOR THIS TFC. COORD WAS THEN MADE WITH THE E ARR SECTOR AT HOU APCH FOR ACR X TO CROSS SMITH INTXN AT 10000'. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ACR X WAS LAT CLR OF THE OVERFLT TFC AT FL200, THE PLT WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 250 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE HUMBLE (IAH) 106 DEG R AND THE SABINE 4 ARR, AND TO DSND AND CROSS SMITH INTXN AT 10000', AND TO DELETE THE SPD RESTRICTION. THE PLT OF ACR X ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE TIGHT, BUT HE WOULD DO HIS BEST. I THEN TURNED ACR X TO A 230 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE IAH 106 DEG R FOR ADDITIONAL FLYING ROOM. I INITIATED AN AUTOMATED HDOF TO HOU APCH CTL AND ATTEMPTED TO POINT OUT THE ACFT TO THE E DEP SECTOR AT HOU APCH. AFTER NO RESPONSE FROM MY FIRST CALL, I ATTEMPTED A SECOND CALL SAYING, 'TRIOS 75 LINE, POINT OUT.' THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF 'UNABLE,' W/O IDENT OF POS OR OPERATING INITIALS. AS PER ATC PROC REQUIREMENTS AGAINST ACFT ENTERING ANOTHER FAC W/O PROPER COORD, I TURNED ACR X TO A 200 DEG HDG. WHEN ACR X WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE 200 DEG HDG, I BECAME AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF SEP BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y LEVEL AT 10000' ON THE FILCO 1 ARR TO HOU, AND ALREADY SWITCHED OVER TO HOU APCH. AS I CALLED ACR X TO STOP DSCNT AT 11000', THE PLT OF ACR X RPTED HE HAD TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AT ABOUT HIS ALT. I CONFIRMED THE TFC AND ASSIGNED ACR X 11000' AND RIGHT TURN TO A 270 DEG HDG SINCE I HAD ADDITIONAL TFC FOLLOWING ACR Y ON THE GILCO 1 ARR, DSNDING TO 10000'. ACR X RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND LEAVING 10500' FOR 11000' AND MADE THE RIGHT TURN. I THEN TURNED ACR X FURTHER RIGHT TO A 300 DEG HDG AS THE PLT RPTED LEVEL AT 11000'. AT THIS TIME, ACR X HAD ALREADY ENTERED HOU APCH AIRSPACE AND I COORDINATED WITH THE E ARR CTLR THE 11000' ON ACR X ABOVE ACR Y WHO WAS AT 10000'.

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.