Narrative:

The situation began when the ATC sector north of mine (#55, mine is #25) started running aircraft through my airspace west/O pointouts or handoffs (I own 11000' to FL230). After determining who these aircraft were, we called sector 55 to find out what they were doing. We then took radar on these aircraft and started to work them along with our normal traffic (sector 25 is approximately 80 mi long and 40 mi wide, running n-s) of bwi and dca arrs along with phl departures. Sector 44 is supposed to give us bwi and dca arrs in trail and they also climb ny departures above our sector. Well, for some reason, they did not climb their departures above my sector, but instead gave me bwi and dca arrs, at FL220, on top of departures (southbound on J75) climbing to FL210. The sector is not set up to handle that type of situation since I have limited airspace and estimate that I was working 20-25 aircraft at one time of which 1/3 or more should not have been there, and I had no information on these aircraft. Add in 5 or 6 phl departures climbing to FL230 and this becomes a real mess. Since there was so much traffic (either wanting higher or lower), most of it was on vectors, which made the situation more complex. After working most of the traffic through I was involved with large transport climbing to FL230 and medium large transport descending to 13000'. Medium large transport turned direct balance and then large transport caught medium large transport from behind. I feel that the biggest problem from this situation is that the airspace is not designed or can handle as much traffic as it did. Sector 55 did not help the situation, but they were only a small part of the problem. The traffic wa the worst I have seen in my 8 yrs with the FAA and took all my skills as a controller to hang on as long as I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR SEPARATION WAS LOST BETWEEN AN ACR DESCENDING AND AN ACR CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: THE SITUATION BEGAN WHEN THE ATC SECTOR N OF MINE (#55, MINE IS #25) STARTED RUNNING ACFT THROUGH MY AIRSPACE W/O POINTOUTS OR HDOFS (I OWN 11000' TO FL230). AFTER DETERMINING WHO THESE ACFT WERE, WE CALLED SECTOR 55 TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING. WE THEN TOOK RADAR ON THESE ACFT AND STARTED TO WORK THEM ALONG WITH OUR NORMAL TFC (SECTOR 25 IS APPROX 80 MI LONG AND 40 MI WIDE, RUNNING N-S) OF BWI AND DCA ARRS ALONG WITH PHL DEPS. SECTOR 44 IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE US BWI AND DCA ARRS IN TRAIL AND THEY ALSO CLB NY DEPS ABOVE OUR SECTOR. WELL, FOR SOME REASON, THEY DID NOT CLB THEIR DEPS ABOVE MY SECTOR, BUT INSTEAD GAVE ME BWI AND DCA ARRS, AT FL220, ON TOP OF DEPS (SBND ON J75) CLBING TO FL210. THE SECTOR IS NOT SET UP TO HANDLE THAT TYPE OF SITUATION SINCE I HAVE LIMITED AIRSPACE AND ESTIMATE THAT I WAS WORKING 20-25 ACFT AT ONE TIME OF WHICH 1/3 OR MORE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE, AND I HAD NO INFO ON THESE ACFT. ADD IN 5 OR 6 PHL DEPS CLBING TO FL230 AND THIS BECOMES A REAL MESS. SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH TFC (EITHER WANTING HIGHER OR LOWER), MOST OF IT WAS ON VECTORS, WHICH MADE THE SITUATION MORE COMPLEX. AFTER WORKING MOST OF THE TFC THROUGH I WAS INVOLVED WITH LGT CLBING TO FL230 AND MLG DSNDING TO 13000'. MLG TURNED DIRECT BAL AND THEN LGT CAUGHT MLG FROM BEHIND. I FEEL THAT THE BIGGEST PROB FROM THIS SITUATION IS THAT THE AIRSPACE IS NOT DESIGNED OR CAN HANDLE AS MUCH TFC AS IT DID. SECTOR 55 DID NOT HELP THE SITUATION, BUT THEY WERE ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE PROB. THE TFC WA THE WORST I HAVE SEEN IN MY 8 YRS WITH THE FAA AND TOOK ALL MY SKILLS AS A CTLR TO HANG ON AS LONG AS I DID.

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.