Narrative:

I, at sector 98, had 2 aircraft in holding for ord, since ZAU center was taking no more flts to ord. I had 4 aircraft on vectors to avoid my holding aircraft. Sector 88 had 4 aircraft holding for ord in 4 different locations. ZAU started accepting ord aircraft 40 mi in trail. Both of my aircraft had been cleared out of holding and on course to fwa hi ZAU center. I took handoff on air carrier X from sector 88. Air carrier X called on frequency at FL310, I was unable to climb air carrier X due to air carrier converging at FL330 flashing at sector 88 needing lower altitude to land at dtw. The handoff/tracker at 88 called asking for higher on air carrier X. I advised I was unable due to the air carrier flashing at him and that I was already talking to air carrier X. I then said I could climb air carrier X if I could turn X right. H88 said, let me show you one, reference air carrier Y holding out here, your control. Handoff/tracker plugs in at sector 98. I turned air carrier X 25 degrees right and advised higher altitude in 1 1/2 mins. I asked air carrier X the new heading, he advised the heading was 080. Air carrier X clears traffic, I climbed the air carrier X to FL330. As I scan the sector I see air carrier Y nwbound northeast or rod. The sector 88 radar controller clears air carrier Y for a left 360 degree turn. At the same time, H98 drops the track on air carrier Y on the sector 98 scope. R88 clears air carrier Y left 360 direct to fwa and to tighten the turn. Air carrier Y advises they are at maximum rate of turn. I return from the scan to air carrier X who is southeast of rod eastbound. Air carrier X appears clear of traffic, so I ask H98 if djb is on course to be sure (20 degree left turn plus/minus). I clear air carrier X on course to djb, 13 seconds later, separation is lost between air carrier X and air carrier Y 20 mi southeast of rod. Supplemental information from acn 224457: I was placed in the handoff position at ffo -- super high to help a controller who was already working past what he should have been working. We owned FL330 and above. I did not get a relief briefing from him because he was too busy to stop and give me one. I started moving data blocks that were overlapped and dropping data blocks off our radar scope that were not pertinent to our sector anymore. I dropped off one that was at FL310 below our altitude because it was not in our sector and was leaving the sector below us. Because I was not given a briefing, I didn't know that this aircraft was going to turn back and become traffic for an aircraft we were talking to that was climbing from the sector below us to our stratum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLB TO OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I, AT SECTOR 98, HAD 2 ACFT IN HOLDING FOR ORD, SINCE ZAU CTR WAS TAKING NO MORE FLTS TO ORD. I HAD 4 ACFT ON VECTORS TO AVOID MY HOLDING ACFT. SECTOR 88 HAD 4 ACFT HOLDING FOR ORD IN 4 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. ZAU STARTED ACCEPTING ORD ACFT 40 MI IN TRAIL. BOTH OF MY ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED OUT OF HOLDING AND ON COURSE TO FWA HI ZAU CTR. I TOOK HDOF ON ACR X FROM SECTOR 88. ACR X CALLED ON FREQ AT FL310, I WAS UNABLE TO CLB ACR X DUE TO ACR CONVERGING AT FL330 FLASHING AT SECTOR 88 NEEDING LOWER ALT TO LAND AT DTW. THE HDOF/TRACKER AT 88 CALLED ASKING FOR HIGHER ON ACR X. I ADVISED I WAS UNABLE DUE TO THE ACR FLASHING AT HIM AND THAT I WAS ALREADY TALKING TO ACR X. I THEN SAID I COULD CLB ACR X IF I COULD TURN X R. H88 SAID, LET ME SHOW YOU ONE, REF ACR Y HOLDING OUT HERE, YOUR CTL. HDOF/TRACKER PLUGS IN AT SECTOR 98. I TURNED ACR X 25 DEGS R AND ADVISED HIGHER ALT IN 1 1/2 MINS. I ASKED ACR X THE NEW HDG, HE ADVISED THE HDG WAS 080. ACR X CLRS TFC, I CLBED THE ACR X TO FL330. AS I SCAN THE SECTOR I SEE ACR Y NWBOUND NE OR ROD. THE SECTOR 88 RADAR CTLR CLRS ACR Y FOR A L 360 DEG TURN. AT THE SAME TIME, H98 DROPS THE TRACK ON ACR Y ON THE SECTOR 98 SCOPE. R88 CLRS ACR Y L 360 DIRECT TO FWA AND TO TIGHTEN THE TURN. ACR Y ADVISES THEY ARE AT MAX RATE OF TURN. I RETURN FROM THE SCAN TO ACR X WHO IS SE OF ROD EBOUND. ACR X APPEARS CLR OF TFC, SO I ASK H98 IF DJB IS ON COURSE TO BE SURE (20 DEG L TURN PLUS/MINUS). I CLR ACR X ON COURSE TO DJB, 13 SECONDS LATER, SEPARATION IS LOST BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y 20 MI SE OF ROD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 224457: I WAS PLACED IN THE HDOF POS AT FFO -- SUPER HIGH TO HELP A CTLR WHO WAS ALREADY WORKING PAST WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING. WE OWNED FL330 AND ABOVE. I DID NOT GET A RELIEF BRIEFING FROM HIM BECAUSE HE WAS TOO BUSY TO STOP AND GIVE ME ONE. I STARTED MOVING DATA BLOCKS THAT WERE OVERLAPPED AND DROPPING DATA BLOCKS OFF OUR RADAR SCOPE THAT WERE NOT PERTINENT TO OUR SECTOR ANYMORE. I DROPPED OFF ONE THAT WAS AT FL310 BELOW OUR ALT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN OUR SECTOR AND WAS LEAVING THE SECTOR BELOW US. BECAUSE I WAS NOT GIVEN A BRIEFING, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS ACFT WAS GOING TO TURN BACK AND BECOME TFC FOR AN ACFT WE WERE TALKING TO THAT WAS CLBING FROM THE SECTOR BELOW US TO OUR STRATUM.

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.