Narrative:

I walked in off break and noticed that a controller that had just been checked out (certified) to work on R66 sector was plugged in and it was very busy. The supervisor did not realize that this controller needed help and I took it upon myself to offer some. The inexperienced controller accepted and I plugged in to track for him, 2 mins later I was talking to the aircraft and working the radar position and he was tracking for me. He had gotten too far behind and did not have the experience to work everything out. I looked for the supervisor and he was gone, I told another controller to stop the departures on aircraft going to mco there had been thunderstorms in the area for at least 2 1/2 hours and the aircraft were deviating and not going near the arrival route to mco. That controller told flow controller. 2 aircraft departed going to mco, 1 from srq and 1 from rsw. Air carrier X from rsw was climbed to 130 for air carrier Y at 140. I had traffic deviating and had to get air carrier Y down, so I descended air carrier Y to 100, hoping to clear 130 and miss air carrier X which was also deviating. My attention was diverted to other situations. Separation was lost between air carrier X and air carrier Y. Closest proximity being 4 mi and 400 ft vertical. Evasive action was not required, but I turned to ensure no further loss of separation. The conflict alert was not initiated until separation was lost. I believe the situation occurred because I jumped in a situation that should not have been taking place. Flow control should have been instituted on the mco arrs and wasn't and the air carrier X should not have been allowed to depart rsw until the sector was calmed down. The supervisor should never have let someone that inexperienced be working when it was going to get that busy and should have had somebody in there helping out before I got there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y DSCNT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR X. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WALKED IN OFF BREAK AND NOTICED THAT A CTLR THAT HAD JUST BEEN CHKED OUT (CERTIFIED) TO WORK ON R66 SECTOR WAS PLUGGED IN AND IT WAS VERY BUSY. THE SUPVR DID NOT REALIZE THAT THIS CTLR NEEDED HELP AND I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO OFFER SOME. THE INEXPERIENCED CTLR ACCEPTED AND I PLUGGED IN TO TRACK FOR HIM, 2 MINS LATER I WAS TALKING TO THE ACFT AND WORKING THE RADAR POS AND HE WAS TRACKING FOR ME. HE HAD GOTTEN TOO FAR BEHIND AND DID NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO WORK EVERYTHING OUT. I LOOKED FOR THE SUPVR AND HE WAS GONE, I TOLD ANOTHER CTLR TO STOP THE DEPS ON ACFT GOING TO MCO THERE HAD BEEN TSTMS IN THE AREA FOR AT LEAST 2 1/2 HRS AND THE ACFT WERE DEVIATING AND NOT GOING NEAR THE ARR RTE TO MCO. THAT CTLR TOLD FLOW CTLR. 2 ACFT DEPARTED GOING TO MCO, 1 FROM SRQ AND 1 FROM RSW. ACR X FROM RSW WAS CLBED TO 130 FOR ACR Y AT 140. I HAD TFC DEVIATING AND HAD TO GET ACR Y DOWN, SO I DSNDED ACR Y TO 100, HOPING TO CLR 130 AND MISS ACR X WHICH WAS ALSO DEVIATING. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO OTHER SITUATIONS. SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y. CLOSEST PROX BEING 4 MI AND 400 FT VERT. EVASIVE ACTION WAS NOT REQUIRED, BUT I TURNED TO ENSURE NO FURTHER LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE CONFLICT ALERT WAS NOT INITIATED UNTIL SEPARATION WAS LOST. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE I JUMPED IN A SITUATION THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE. FLOW CTL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED ON THE MCO ARRS AND WASN'T AND THE ACR X SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DEPART RSW UNTIL THE SECTOR WAS CALMED DOWN. THE SUPVR SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET SOMEONE THAT INEXPERIENCED BE WORKING WHEN IT WAS GOING TO GET THAT BUSY AND SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMEBODY IN THERE HELPING OUT BEFORE I GOT THERE.

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.