Narrative:

Air carrier X was en route from msy? To clt at FL330 and was not in radio contact with center for approximately 100 mi. Air carrier Y was en route at FL330. I was working R34 a 2 altitude sector (FL310-FL330). Air carrier X and air carrier Y were in conflict so I descended air carrier Y to FL210. Air carrier X finally called R31. R31 is a clt arrival sector and owns FL230 descending to FL110. Right 31 is located next to R32 which mirrors R34 in geographical boundaries but owns FL240 climbing to FL290. R31 looked over at R32's scope saw the air carrier X and asked for control to descend and turn air carrier X. R34 had been combined on R32 but had been split for approximately 10 mins. Either one or both controllers did not realize the R34 had not released air carrier X and had traffic. R31 descended and turned air carrier X. D32 realizing the mistake ran to R34 (2 sectors away) and told me what happened. I yelled at R31 (3 sectors away) don't descend air carrier X but it was too late. R32 yelled to descend air carrier Y to FL290 which I did. R31 realizing the conflict (the conflict alert activated) immediately climbed air carrier X back to FL330. I called R31 on the override and was advised that he also turned air carrier X and this created another potential conflict. I advised R31 to put the air carrier X on a heading that resolved the conflict and switch the aircraft to my frequency. Contributing factors and analysis: air carrier X was NORDO for over 100 mi. When he finally called someone he was 70 mi from his destination at FL330. R34 is a 2 altitude sector. Due to other traffic I was forced to put air carrier Y under the air carrier X. Minimum sep under a NORDO aircraft that is landing is a poor choice at best. R31 was in a rush to get air carrier X into clt. We are so busy in atl now that any unusual event can be disastrous so we rush to correct it hoping we won't get too far behind in our other duties. Look forward to hearing from you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter gave aircraft type and location of incident. Workload appeared to be light with approximately 5 aircraft on frequency. Reporter states that a breakdown in intrafac coordination was the cause. Reporter working combined sectors. Had no idea why air carrier X did not change frequency. Reporter took a handoff on the aircraft from another sector. Conflict alert did not alarm, and no incident filed by facility. Supervisor in the area, but not at the sector. Reporter blames bad communication between sectors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PENETRATES ADJACENT CTLR AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD.

Narrative: ACR X WAS ENRTE FROM MSY? TO CLT AT FL330 AND WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH CTR FOR APPROX 100 MI. ACR Y WAS ENRTE AT FL330. I WAS WORKING R34 A 2 ALT SECTOR (FL310-FL330). ACR X AND ACR Y WERE IN CONFLICT SO I DSNDED ACR Y TO FL210. ACR X FINALLY CALLED R31. R31 IS A CLT ARR SECTOR AND OWNS FL230 DSNDING TO FL110. R 31 IS LOCATED NEXT TO R32 WHICH MIRRORS R34 IN GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES BUT OWNS FL240 CLBING TO FL290. R31 LOOKED OVER AT R32'S SCOPE SAW THE ACR X AND ASKED FOR CTL TO DSND AND TURN ACR X. R34 HAD BEEN COMBINED ON R32 BUT HAD BEEN SPLIT FOR APPROX 10 MINS. EITHER ONE OR BOTH CTLRS DID NOT REALIZE THE R34 HAD NOT RELEASED ACR X AND HAD TFC. R31 DSNDED AND TURNED ACR X. D32 REALIZING THE MISTAKE RAN TO R34 (2 SECTORS AWAY) AND TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED. I YELLED AT R31 (3 SECTORS AWAY) DON'T DSND ACR X BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. R32 YELLED TO DSND ACR Y TO FL290 WHICH I DID. R31 REALIZING THE CONFLICT (THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED) IMMEDIATELY CLBED ACR X BACK TO FL330. I CALLED R31 ON THE OVERRIDE AND WAS ADVISED THAT HE ALSO TURNED ACR X AND THIS CREATED ANOTHER POTENTIAL CONFLICT. I ADVISED R31 TO PUT THE ACR X ON A HDG THAT RESOLVED THE CONFLICT AND SWITCH THE ACFT TO MY FREQ. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND ANALYSIS: ACR X WAS NORDO FOR OVER 100 MI. WHEN HE FINALLY CALLED SOMEONE HE WAS 70 MI FROM HIS DEST AT FL330. R34 IS A 2 ALT SECTOR. DUE TO OTHER TFC I WAS FORCED TO PUT ACR Y UNDER THE ACR X. MINIMUM SEP UNDER A NORDO ACFT THAT IS LNDG IS A POOR CHOICE AT BEST. R31 WAS IN A RUSH TO GET ACR X INTO CLT. WE ARE SO BUSY IN ATL NOW THAT ANY UNUSUAL EVENT CAN BE DISASTROUS SO WE RUSH TO CORRECT IT HOPING WE WON'T GET TOO FAR BEHIND IN OUR OTHER DUTIES. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR GAVE ACFT TYPE AND LOCATION OF INCIDENT. WORKLOAD APPEARED TO BE LIGHT WITH APPROX 5 ACFT ON FREQ. RPTR STATES THAT A BREAKDOWN IN INTRAFAC COORD WAS THE CAUSE. RPTR WORKING COMBINED SECTORS. HAD NO IDEA WHY ACR X DID NOT CHANGE FREQ. RPTR TOOK A HDOF ON THE ACFT FROM ANOTHER SECTOR. CONFLICT ALERT DID NOT ALARM, AND NO INCIDENT FILED BY FAC. SUPVR IN THE AREA, BUT NOT AT THE SECTOR. RPTR BLAMES BAD COM BTWN SECTORS.

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.