Narrative:

The wabash controller said it would be 1 min before he could climb air carrier Y due to traffic at FL350. Conflict alert started between air carrier Y and air carrier at FL330. The wabash controller asked and turned air carrier Y to a 090 heading. Air carrier Y said he could only turn to a 105 heading and was too heavy for FL370. (That information not passed back to the indy controller). Indy takes a handoff on air carrier X descending to FL310. Air carrier X is being worked by a controller 3 sectors away. (Pointed out to the 2 sectors between). Air carrier X is direct okk landing ord. Air carrier Y is now flashing (in handoff) to patterson super high still in indy high's airspace being worked by wabash. Air carrier X is flashing at indy high sector pointed out to patterson and dayton sectors. Wabash calls patterson on the handoff on air carrier Y. Patterson asked why 'air carrier Y was so far north.' wabash said, 'because of WX and traffic.' air carrier X was not mentioned on the handoff call. Air carrier X had checked on indy's frequency leaving FL340 for FL310. Not answered, air carrier X checked on again 40 seconds later leaving FL330 for FL310. Conflict alert goes off. Air carrier Y still being worked by wabash is turned to a 180 heading not mentioned to anyone. Air carrier X turned to a 230 heading, has slowed the descent. A departure goes off with about 1000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 217442: I was working the ffo sh radar position at ZID. Air carrier X was pointed out to me by the sme radar controller direct cvg at FL390. He was being rerted cvg vhp okk to ord due to numerous thunderstorms in the area. I received a second pointout when the aircraft was northwest of cvg descending to FL350. A third call was made requesting release on air carrier X to FL310. All pointouts were approved as there was no traffic situation. I noticed that air carrier X was then handed off and accepted by the ind hi radar controller descending to FL310. A handoff was then initiated to me on air carrier Y at FL330. His track was approximately 080 degrees. I questioned the handoff because his filed route of flight was vhp J24 flm on course. If he had been on course, he never would've come into my sector. At that time, I received an override call. I heard in the background a heading of 180 degrees issued to air carrier Y. The calling controller told me that air carrier Y was going to 'hit my airspace.' I believed that steps were being taken to separate air carrier Y and air carrier X. I saw that air carrier X was radar contact with ind hi radar and believed they were also working air carrier Y. In fact, air carrier Y was being worked by the wabash controller who only owned FL350 and above. I tried to establish radio contact with air carrier X in the chance he might be on my frequency. There was no reply. Aircraft passed with less than standard center separation. 2 factors leading to this error I think are of major importance. I believe that ZID's traffic management unit does not do enough to help the controller inside of ZID. Flow control restrictions are posted constantly on us from other ctrs, making it easier for them and more difficult for us. WX: in the previous month, ZID has had to deal with severe WX about 75 percent of the time. Having to work under these conditions has gotten the ZID controllers to the point where they are 'shell shocked.' nothing can be done about the WX, but in reference to point 1, I think more could be done by ZID traffic management unit to help the controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC INTERFAC COORD ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: THE WABASH CTLR SAID IT WOULD BE 1 MIN BEFORE HE COULD CLB ACR Y DUE TO TFC AT FL350. CONFLICT ALERT STARTED BTWN ACR Y AND ACR AT FL330. THE WABASH CTLR ASKED AND TURNED ACR Y TO A 090 HDG. ACR Y SAID HE COULD ONLY TURN TO A 105 HDG AND WAS TOO HVY FOR FL370. (THAT INFO NOT PASSED BACK TO THE INDY CTLR). INDY TAKES A HDOF ON ACR X DSNDING TO FL310. ACR X IS BEING WORKED BY A CTLR 3 SECTORS AWAY. (POINTED OUT TO THE 2 SECTORS BTWN). ACR X IS DIRECT OKK LNDG ORD. ACR Y IS NOW FLASHING (IN HDOF) TO PATTERSON SUPER HIGH STILL IN INDY HIGH'S AIRSPACE BEING WORKED BY WABASH. ACR X IS FLASHING AT INDY HIGH SECTOR POINTED OUT TO PATTERSON AND DAYTON SECTORS. WABASH CALLS PATTERSON ON THE HDOF ON ACR Y. PATTERSON ASKED WHY 'ACR Y WAS SO FAR N.' WABASH SAID, 'BECAUSE OF WX AND TFC.' ACR X WAS NOT MENTIONED ON THE HDOF CALL. ACR X HAD CHKED ON INDY'S FREQ LEAVING FL340 FOR FL310. NOT ANSWERED, ACR X CHKED ON AGAIN 40 SECONDS LATER LEAVING FL330 FOR FL310. CONFLICT ALERT GOES OFF. ACR Y STILL BEING WORKED BY WABASH IS TURNED TO A 180 HDG NOT MENTIONED TO ANYONE. ACR X TURNED TO A 230 HDG, HAS SLOWED THE DSCNT. A DEP GOES OFF WITH ABOUT 1000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 217442: I WAS WORKING THE FFO SH RADAR POS AT ZID. ACR X WAS POINTED OUT TO ME BY THE SME RADAR CTLR DIRECT CVG AT FL390. HE WAS BEING RERTED CVG VHP OKK TO ORD DUE TO NUMEROUS TSTMS IN THE AREA. I RECEIVED A SECOND POINTOUT WHEN THE ACFT WAS NW OF CVG DSNDING TO FL350. A THIRD CALL WAS MADE REQUESTING RELEASE ON ACR X TO FL310. ALL POINTOUTS WERE APPROVED AS THERE WAS NO TFC SITUATION. I NOTICED THAT ACR X WAS THEN HANDED OFF AND ACCEPTED BY THE IND HI RADAR CTLR DSNDING TO FL310. A HDOF WAS THEN INITIATED TO ME ON ACR Y AT FL330. HIS TRACK WAS APPROX 080 DEGS. I QUESTIONED THE HDOF BECAUSE HIS FILED RTE OF FLT WAS VHP J24 FLM ON COURSE. IF HE HAD BEEN ON COURSE, HE NEVER WOULD'VE COME INTO MY SECTOR. AT THAT TIME, I RECEIVED AN OVERRIDE CALL. I HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND A HDG OF 180 DEGS ISSUED TO ACR Y. THE CALLING CTLR TOLD ME THAT ACR Y WAS GOING TO 'HIT MY AIRSPACE.' I BELIEVED THAT STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN TO SEPARATE ACR Y AND ACR X. I SAW THAT ACR X WAS RADAR CONTACT WITH IND HI RADAR AND BELIEVED THEY WERE ALSO WORKING ACR Y. IN FACT, ACR Y WAS BEING WORKED BY THE WABASH CTLR WHO ONLY OWNED FL350 AND ABOVE. I TRIED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH ACR X IN THE CHANCE HE MIGHT BE ON MY FREQ. THERE WAS NO REPLY. ACFT PASSED WITH LESS THAN STANDARD CTR SEPARATION. 2 FACTORS LEADING TO THIS ERROR I THINK ARE OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE. I BELIEVE THAT ZID'S TFC MGMNT UNIT DOES NOT DO ENOUGH TO HELP THE CTLR INSIDE OF ZID. FLOW CTL RESTRICTIONS ARE POSTED CONSTANTLY ON US FROM OTHER CTRS, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THEM AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR US. WX: IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ZID HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH SEVERE WX ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE TIME. HAVING TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS HAS GOTTEN THE ZID CTLRS TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE 'SHELL SHOCKED.' NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE WX, BUT IN REF TO POINT 1, I THINK MORE COULD BE DONE BY ZID TFC MGMNT UNIT TO HELP THE CTLRS.

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.