Narrative:

At ZDC, we have instituted a new procedure of recorded position relief briefings. This includes supervisors doing recorded position relief briefings. I was working sectors 18 and 19 combined during a moderate push of traffic. My override light came on indicating that a controller at my facility was trying to call. I advised the caller to go ahead with the coordination. I got no response. Approximately 5 seconds later, a recorded position relief briefing was conducted between 2 supervisors. The supervisor apparently dialed my position by accident. I looked around the room and as luck would have it the culprit was standing approximately 25' behind me. He did not hear my request to stop on the interphone system because he did not have the earpiece of the handset up to his ear. I yelled out to him several times to stop transmitting; however, he still did not hear me. I then rolled a chair across the room so as to knock him and get his attention. I was successful. He finally got the message and hung up. Be advised, I was working approximately 15 aircraft at this time. The whole sequence to get control of my override system took about 30 seconds. This could have been a dangerous situation. The supervisor who made the error was very upset with his mistake; however, this did nothing to make me feel better. If that supervisor had been much further from me so that I would have been unable to get his attention, I would have had to wait even longer to get control of my override system, and proceed in separating aircraft in a normal fashion.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUPVR ACCIDENTLY DIALED WRONG PHONE LINE FOR RECORDED POSITION BRIEFING WHICH TIED UP CTLR'S INTERPHONE SYSTEM.

Narrative: AT ZDC, WE HAVE INSTITUTED A NEW PROC OF RECORDED POS RELIEF BRIEFINGS. THIS INCLUDES SUPVRS DOING RECORDED POS RELIEF BRIEFINGS. I WAS WORKING SECTORS 18 AND 19 COMBINED DURING A MODERATE PUSH OF TFC. MY OVERRIDE LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THAT A CTLR AT MY FAC WAS TRYING TO CALL. I ADVISED THE CALLER TO GO AHEAD WITH THE COORD. I GOT NO RESPONSE. APPROX 5 SECS LATER, A RECORDED POS RELIEF BRIEFING WAS CONDUCTED BTWN 2 SUPVRS. THE SUPVR APPARENTLY DIALED MY POS BY ACCIDENT. I LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THE CULPRIT WAS STANDING APPROX 25' BEHIND ME. HE DID NOT HEAR MY REQUEST TO STOP ON THE INTERPHONE SYS BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE THE EARPIECE OF THE HANDSET UP TO HIS EAR. I YELLED OUT TO HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO STOP XMITTING; HOWEVER, HE STILL DID NOT HEAR ME. I THEN ROLLED A CHAIR ACROSS THE ROOM SO AS TO KNOCK HIM AND GET HIS ATTN. I WAS SUCCESSFUL. HE FINALLY GOT THE MESSAGE AND HUNG UP. BE ADVISED, I WAS WORKING APPROX 15 ACFT AT THIS TIME. THE WHOLE SEQUENCE TO GET CTL OF MY OVERRIDE SYS TOOK ABOUT 30 SECS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE SUPVR WHO MADE THE ERROR WAS VERY UPSET WITH HIS MISTAKE; HOWEVER, THIS DID NOTHING TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. IF THAT SUPVR HAD BEEN MUCH FURTHER FROM ME SO THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET HIS ATTN, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WAIT EVEN LONGER TO GET CTL OF MY OVERRIDE SYS, AND PROCEED IN SEPARATING ACFT IN A NORMAL FASHION.

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.