Narrative:

I was working the baton rouge low sector in ZHU airspace with an instructor. I had received a handoff (from hammond sector) on a military X, a C12 nwbound at FL180, and before communications were transferred, I made a handoff to the polk low sector which they received. Hammond sector then transferred communications to polk low sector. As military X was transitioning my airspace, the data block 'timed out' and was automatically dropped from my radar scope. Several mins later air carrier Y was handed off to me from the polk low sector at FL190. Y was an ATR-42 inbound to msy via direct btr V114 msy. Y requested an early descent clearance just as polk low sector was calling me with a pointout on a nwbound jet departing baton rouge. Because 160 was entered into the data block, I arranged to descend Y to 17000 ft reference the departure jet. Polk low approved my request thinking that I was still observing X who was in my airspace but was not displayed as a full data block on my scope. I then descended Y to 17000 ft and separation was lost between Y and X. About 5 mins later, we were notified of a loss of separation by a specialist observing the conflict alert. Supplemental information from acn 278629: military X, a C12 flying from nbg to nbe via direct aex SCY6, was on the poe-left sector frequency at FL180. The flight entered the btr-left sector from the hmu-left sector. Air carrier Y, an E120 flying from shv to msy via direct aex J58, checked on the btr-left frequency and requested descent from FL190. The btr-left trainee controller requested control transfer from the poe-left sector, which was granted. Y was issued descent clearance to 17000 ft MSL. When the aircraft left FL190, standard ATC separation was lost with X whose radar 'full data block' had disappeared from the radar scope approximately 5 mins prior to the incident. The disappearance of this information is an automation function. On- the-job-training was being conducted on this radar position. There were equipment malfunctions at this sector and maintenance was in progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE BATON ROUGE LOW SECTOR IN ZHU AIRSPACE WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. I HAD RECEIVED A HDOF (FROM HAMMOND SECTOR) ON A MIL X, A C12 NWBOUND AT FL180, AND BEFORE COMS WERE TRANSFERRED, I MADE A HDOF TO THE POLK LOW SECTOR WHICH THEY RECEIVED. HAMMOND SECTOR THEN TRANSFERRED COMS TO POLK LOW SECTOR. AS MIL X WAS TRANSITIONING MY AIRSPACE, THE DATA BLOCK 'TIMED OUT' AND WAS AUTOMATICALLY DROPPED FROM MY RADAR SCOPE. SEVERAL MINS LATER ACR Y WAS HANDED OFF TO ME FROM THE POLK LOW SECTOR AT FL190. Y WAS AN ATR-42 INBOUND TO MSY VIA DIRECT BTR V114 MSY. Y REQUESTED AN EARLY DSCNT CLRNC JUST AS POLK LOW SECTOR WAS CALLING ME WITH A POINTOUT ON A NWBOUND JET DEPARTING BATON ROUGE. BECAUSE 160 WAS ENTERED INTO THE DATA BLOCK, I ARRANGED TO DSND Y TO 17000 FT REF THE DEP JET. POLK LOW APPROVED MY REQUEST THINKING THAT I WAS STILL OBSERVING X WHO WAS IN MY AIRSPACE BUT WAS NOT DISPLAYED AS A FULL DATA BLOCK ON MY SCOPE. I THEN DSNDED Y TO 17000 FT AND SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN Y AND X. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A LOSS OF SEPARATION BY A SPECIALIST OBSERVING THE CONFLICT ALERT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 278629: MIL X, A C12 FLYING FROM NBG TO NBE VIA DIRECT AEX SCY6, WAS ON THE POE-L SECTOR FREQ AT FL180. THE FLT ENTERED THE BTR-L SECTOR FROM THE HMU-L SECTOR. ACR Y, AN E120 FLYING FROM SHV TO MSY VIA DIRECT AEX J58, CHKED ON THE BTR-L FREQ AND REQUESTED DSCNT FROM FL190. THE BTR-L TRAINEE CTLR REQUESTED CTL TRANSFER FROM THE POE-L SECTOR, WHICH WAS GRANTED. Y WAS ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO 17000 FT MSL. WHEN THE ACFT LEFT FL190, STANDARD ATC SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH X WHOSE RADAR 'FULL DATA BLOCK' HAD DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCOPE APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THIS INFO IS AN AUTOMATION FUNCTION. ON- THE-JOB-TRAINING WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON THIS RADAR POS. THERE WERE EQUIP MALFUNCTIONS AT THIS SECTOR AND MAINT WAS IN PROGRESS.

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.