Narrative:

Having relieved the previous controller, I continued working a moderate traffic period, using altitude separation between 2 aircraft in conflict. An adjacent sector requested a transfer of communication on aircraft #3, who was 5-10 mi north of my area of jurisdiction. The data block on this aircraft was displayed on my radar scope, overlapping the FL310 data block, and once I shipped aircraft #3, subsequently forgot about the aircraft at FL310 and climbed the FL290 aircraft through the protected airspace of the FL310 aircraft. The data block on aircraft #3 was initially dropped off the scope since it was outside my airspace. Someone re-displayed the aircraft to my sector, and unknown to them, it overlapped one of my data blocks, perhaps a computer patch preventing overlapped data blocks could prevent this from happening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR FORGOT ABOUT TFC AT FL310 DUE TO DATA BLOCK OVERLAP, CLBED A CPR JET THROUGH ALT OF ACR ACFT WITH LTSS.

Narrative: HAVING RELIEVED THE PREVIOUS CTLR, I CONTINUED WORKING A MODERATE TFC PERIOD, USING ALT SEPARATION BTWN 2 ACFT IN CONFLICT. AN ADJACENT SECTOR REQUESTED A TRANSFER OF COM ON ACFT #3, WHO WAS 5-10 MI N OF MY AREA OF JURISDICTION. THE DATA BLOCK ON THIS ACFT WAS DISPLAYED ON MY RADAR SCOPE, OVERLAPPING THE FL310 DATA BLOCK, AND ONCE I SHIPPED ACFT #3, SUBSEQUENTLY FORGOT ABOUT THE ACFT AT FL310 AND CLBED THE FL290 ACFT THROUGH THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE OF THE FL310 ACFT. THE DATA BLOCK ON ACFT #3 WAS INITIALLY DROPPED OFF THE SCOPE SINCE IT WAS OUTSIDE MY AIRSPACE. SOMEONE RE-DISPLAYED THE ACFT TO MY SECTOR, AND UNKNOWN TO THEM, IT OVERLAPPED ONE OF MY DATA BLOCKS, PERHAPS A COMPUTER PATCH PREVENTING OVERLAPPED DATA BLOCKS COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.

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.