Narrative:

I was working the rqz (rocket) sector for 1 hour plus 55 mins when the incident occurred. I worked the D position 20 mins, then moved to right position to let right men go to dinner. The relieving controller was not qualified to work right position since the gunter sector was combined with ours and he was not yet certified on gunter right side. It got busy and I asked for a tracker and got 1 through although staffing was low on sat night. When the traffic volume decreased the tracker relieved the D man for dinner. Later he moved to the position next to me (dalas) to relieve that sector for dinner. Thunderstorms caused atlanta approach to stop arrs putting dalas and rqz sectors into holding. Both were 1 man sectors, then a thunderstorm caused us to change the holding pattern from right turns to left turns. Air carrier X was over cha inbound to the holding pattern at FL310 and air carrier Y was pointed out east of him at FL290 deviating west of atlanta. There was en route traffic at FL330 and 2 aircraft from the west descending out at FL330 to the holding pattern but above FL280. An air carrier Z flight I had no strip on (filed J89) was handed off to me west of atlanta at FL310. I descended the air carrier X to FL290 to resolve the conflict with air carrier Y since I had more time to then resolve the conflict at FL290 then at FL310 head-on. When air carrier X did not descend quickly I climbed air carrier Y to FL330. Air carrier X had lateral with air carrier Y and would not conflict until air carrier X reached the holding pattern. Then thunderstorms moved into the holding pattern and I got distracted for too long moving the holding pattern northwest of rmg and marking it on the strips. When I looked back at the radar air carrier X was turning in front of air carrier Y. I told air carrier X to 'fly present heading and climb to FL310 immediately'. When the aircraft passed I descended air carrier X again and resumed holding. I believe this happened because I was working alone and was distracted for longer than I thought moving the holding pattern. I am sure with 2 people watching the sector this would not have occurred. I think that staffing in our area is too low especially on sat and sun. This could be prevented by requiring at least 2 controllers on a sector when holding and when aircraft are deviating near the holding pattern. It would be a good idea to have 2 controllers for any situation of WX deviations. If we had more controllers we would not be caught short at dinner on weekends.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYSTEM ERROR. CTLR STAFFING PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RQZ (ROCKET) SECTOR FOR 1 HR PLUS 55 MINS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I WORKED THE D POS 20 MINS, THEN MOVED TO R POS TO LET R MEN GO TO DINNER. THE RELIEVING CTLR WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO WORK R POS SINCE THE GUNTER SECTOR WAS COMBINED WITH OURS AND HE WAS NOT YET CERTIFIED ON GUNTER R SIDE. IT GOT BUSY AND I ASKED FOR A TRACKER AND GOT 1 THROUGH ALTHOUGH STAFFING WAS LOW ON SAT NIGHT. WHEN THE TFC VOLUME DECREASED THE TRACKER RELIEVED THE D MAN FOR DINNER. LATER HE MOVED TO THE POS NEXT TO ME (DALAS) TO RELIEVE THAT SECTOR FOR DINNER. TSTMS CAUSED ATLANTA APCH TO STOP ARRS PUTTING DALAS AND RQZ SECTORS INTO HOLDING. BOTH WERE 1 MAN SECTORS, THEN A TSTM CAUSED US TO CHANGE THE HOLDING PATTERN FROM R TURNS TO L TURNS. ACR X WAS OVER CHA INBOUND TO THE HOLDING PATTERN AT FL310 AND ACR Y WAS POINTED OUT E OF HIM AT FL290 DEVIATING W OF ATLANTA. THERE WAS ENRTE TFC AT FL330 AND 2 ACFT FROM THE W DSNDING OUT AT FL330 TO THE HOLDING PATTERN BUT ABOVE FL280. AN ACR Z FLT I HAD NO STRIP ON (FILED J89) WAS HANDED OFF TO ME W OF ATLANTA AT FL310. I DSNDED THE ACR X TO FL290 TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT WITH ACR Y SINCE I HAD MORE TIME TO THEN RESOLVE THE CONFLICT AT FL290 THEN AT FL310 HEAD-ON. WHEN ACR X DID NOT DSND QUICKLY I CLBED ACR Y TO FL330. ACR X HAD LATERAL WITH ACR Y AND WOULD NOT CONFLICT UNTIL ACR X REACHED THE HOLDING PATTERN. THEN TSTMS MOVED INTO THE HOLDING PATTERN AND I GOT DISTRACTED FOR TOO LONG MOVING THE HOLDING PATTERN NW OF RMG AND MARKING IT ON THE STRIPS. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE RADAR ACR X WAS TURNING IN FRONT OF ACR Y. I TOLD ACR X TO 'FLY PRESENT HDG AND CLB TO FL310 IMMEDIATELY'. WHEN THE ACFT PASSED I DSNDED ACR X AGAIN AND RESUMED HOLDING. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE I WAS WORKING ALONE AND WAS DISTRACTED FOR LONGER THAN I THOUGHT MOVING THE HOLDING PATTERN. I AM SURE WITH 2 PEOPLE WATCHING THE SECTOR THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I THINK THAT STAFFING IN OUR AREA IS TOO LOW ESPECIALLY ON SAT AND SUN. THIS COULD BE PREVENTED BY REQUIRING AT LEAST 2 CTLRS ON A SECTOR WHEN HOLDING AND WHEN ACFT ARE DEVIATING NEAR THE HOLDING PATTERN. IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE 2 CTLRS FOR ANY SITUATION OF WX DEVS. IF WE HAD MORE CTLRS WE WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT SHORT AT DINNER ON WEEKENDS.

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.