ATC equipment problem sector frequency transmitter failure.

Attributes
ACN	203176
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rod
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	203176
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 2000
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The radar controller working the patterson super high sector in indianapolis ARTCC had handoffs on air carrier X eastbound on J80 at FL370 and a cpr Y nebound going direct jamestown, ny, at FL370. Cpr Y was turned left to a 030 heading, an initial vector to go behind air carrier X when the aircraft were still 6-8 mins from confliction. A few mins later, the transmitters on the frequency failed. The controller tried both back up frequencys and neither worked. The 2 aircraft are now 3-4 mins from confliction and an additional turn was needed to achieve separation. After trying the frequencys a couple of more times, we went to an adjacent sector and had them send an aircraft to the patterson frequency (128.77) and relay a descent clearance to FL350 to cpr Y. When cpr Y received the clearance, the 2 aircraft were about 2 mins apart and he leveled FL350 just as he entered the 5 mi protected airspace of air carrier X. The sector was then shut down and combined with the high altitude sector below it and the frequency released to maintenance. This created a greater workload and possible unsafe situations due to sector overload in that sector. Approximately 4 hours later the frequency was returned to service and about an hour after that failed again in the same manner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROBLEM SECTOR FREQ XMITTER FAILURE.

Narrative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

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.