Narrative:

During XXXX. Traffic peak on paxto high altitude sector. The manual controller (D side) moved his chair, and the arm of the chair bumped into the jacks of the radar controller, radar trainee, and radar handoff controller's headsets where they were plugged into the console. This resulted in a total loss of primary and back-up radio communications (transmitters and receivers). Sector workload was heavy with crossing and climbing traffic conflicts. Approximately 20 aircraft on frequency and perhaps 25 data blocks were present. A couple of aircraft pairs would be in imminent danger of unsafe proximity within a few minutes. Thankfully, a technician in the communications area responding to an alarm, quickly replaced blown fuses and restored transmitters in about 3 minutes. First time I'd ever heard of anyone knocking out sector communications due to bumping into jack plugs!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC HI ALT SECTOR TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER FAILURE.

Narrative: DURING XXXX. TFC PEAK ON PAXTO HIGH ALT SECTOR. THE MANUAL CTLR (D SIDE) MOVED HIS CHAIR, AND THE ARM OF THE CHAIR BUMPED INTO THE JACKS OF THE RADAR CTLR, RADAR TRAINEE, AND RADAR HANDOFF CTLR'S HEADSETS WHERE THEY WERE PLUGGED INTO THE CONSOLE. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF PRIMARY AND BACK-UP RADIO COMS (XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS). SECTOR WORKLOAD WAS HEAVY WITH XING AND CLIMBING TFC CONFLICTS. APPROX 20 ACFT ON FREQ AND PERHAPS 25 DATA BLOCKS WERE PRESENT. A COUPLE OF ACFT PAIRS WOULD BE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF UNSAFE PROX WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. THANKFULLY, A TECHNICIAN IN THE COMS AREA RESPONDING TO AN ALARM, QUICKLY REPLACED BLOWN FUSES AND RESTORED XMITTERS IN ABOUT 3 MINUTES. FIRST TIME I'D EVER HEARD OF ANYONE KNOCKING OUT SECTOR COMS DUE TO BUMPING INTO JACK PLUGS!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.