Narrative:

This event involves 3 aircraft. Uga Z is a PA31/right at 8000 ft, en route rwi, bzm, sug, avl. Uga Y is a C425/right landing hky from dan. Uga X is a C425/right landing hky from 7g2, bkw, hky. This event occurred at the wilkes sector 48 in atlanta ARTCC. Sector 48 encompasses airspace from the ground to 10000 ft. MSL in the general area of hickory, nc (hky). It occurred on a thursday, one of the busiest days of the week. The maiden radar site was OTS for scheduled maintenance. It is the primary radar site for sector 48. This left sector is without radar coverage at 8000 ft and below for most of the sector. I was working the r-side, with a d-side and tracker assigned to the sector. Sequence of events: at XX42Z (all times are approximate). X checked on the frequency at 10000 ft and was told to expect holding at bzm due to departure traffic off of hky. At XX46Z Y checked in at 11000 ft and told the same. At XX46Z X was cleared to hold at bzm and descended to 8000 ft at XX47Z, Z checked in at 8000 ft within 5 seconds of a departure checking in, off hky. I did not hear Z or the departure clearly and responded that 'I'm about 4 xmissions behind so let's take it 1 at a time.' I proceeded to ask if the departure was one of the aircraft that called. It was and I cleared the departure to climb to 7000 ft. I continued working other aircraft in the sector. During this time I was working approximately 10-15 aircraft including, 2 departures off hky, 3 'pop-ups' trying to get IFR clrncs as well as the 3 aircraft previously mentioned. At XX55Z, X was descended to 6000 ft. As soon as reported leaving 8000 ft, Y was descended to 8000 ft. At XX55Z, X was cleared for the VOR approach to hky. At XX56Z, Z reported over bzm at 8000 ft. Until this time I was totally unaware of Z. I heard the call but, again, did not catch who it was. I asked if it was X reporting over bzm. X replied negative. I asked 'who's reporting over bzm.' Z replied 'Z is over bzm.' I looked at the radar to see who Z was. There was no data block. I looked at the strips and Z's strip was about 3/4 of the way up in the second bay of strips. The strip showed the aircraft at 8000 ft. I immediately told Z to say altitude. Z replied 8000 ft. I looked at the radar and saw Y 2 mi north of bzm entering hold, level at 8000 ft. (The data block on Y was not in coast but I don't remember if there was a target). I cleared Y to 'turn left immediately, fly heading 360 degrees. I asked X his altitude and he replied leaving 6000 ft for 4000 ft. I descended Y to 7000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR.

Narrative: THIS EVENT INVOLVES 3 ACFT. UGA Z IS A PA31/R AT 8000 FT, ENRTE RWI, BZM, SUG, AVL. UGA Y IS A C425/R LNDG HKY FROM DAN. UGA X IS A C425/R LNDG HKY FROM 7G2, BKW, HKY. THIS EVENT OCCURRED AT THE WILKES SECTOR 48 IN ATLANTA ARTCC. SECTOR 48 ENCOMPASSES AIRSPACE FROM THE GND TO 10000 FT. MSL IN THE GENERAL AREA OF HICKORY, NC (HKY). IT OCCURRED ON A THURSDAY, ONE OF THE BUSIEST DAYS OF THE WK. THE MAIDEN RADAR SITE WAS OTS FOR SCHEDULED MAINT. IT IS THE PRIMARY RADAR SITE FOR SECTOR 48. THIS LEFT SECTOR IS WITHOUT RADAR COVERAGE AT 8000 FT AND BELOW FOR MOST OF THE SECTOR. I WAS WORKING THE R-SIDE, WITH A D-SIDE AND TRACKER ASSIGNED TO THE SECTOR. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: AT XX42Z (ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE). X CHKED ON THE FREQ AT 10000 FT AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT HOLDING AT BZM DUE TO DEP TFC OFF OF HKY. AT XX46Z Y CHKED IN AT 11000 FT AND TOLD THE SAME. AT XX46Z X WAS CLRED TO HOLD AT BZM AND DSNDED TO 8000 FT AT XX47Z, Z CHKED IN AT 8000 FT WITHIN 5 SECONDS OF A DEP CHKING IN, OFF HKY. I DID NOT HEAR Z OR THE DEP CLRLY AND RESPONDED THAT 'I'M ABOUT 4 XMISSIONS BEHIND SO LET'S TAKE IT 1 AT A TIME.' I PROCEEDED TO ASK IF THE DEP WAS ONE OF THE ACFT THAT CALLED. IT WAS AND I CLRED THE DEP TO CLB TO 7000 FT. I CONTINUED WORKING OTHER ACFT IN THE SECTOR. DURING THIS TIME I WAS WORKING APPROX 10-15 ACFT INCLUDING, 2 DEPS OFF HKY, 3 'POP-UPS' TRYING TO GET IFR CLRNCS AS WELL AS THE 3 ACFT PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. AT XX55Z, X WAS DSNDED TO 6000 FT. AS SOON AS RPTED LEAVING 8000 FT, Y WAS DSNDED TO 8000 FT. AT XX55Z, X WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH TO HKY. AT XX56Z, Z RPTED OVER BZM AT 8000 FT. UNTIL THIS TIME I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF Z. I HEARD THE CALL BUT, AGAIN, DID NOT CATCH WHO IT WAS. I ASKED IF IT WAS X RPTING OVER BZM. X REPLIED NEGATIVE. I ASKED 'WHO'S RPTING OVER BZM.' Z REPLIED 'Z IS OVER BZM.' I LOOKED AT THE RADAR TO SEE WHO Z WAS. THERE WAS NO DATA BLOCK. I LOOKED AT THE STRIPS AND Z'S STRIP WAS ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY UP IN THE SECOND BAY OF STRIPS. THE STRIP SHOWED THE ACFT AT 8000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD Z TO SAY ALT. Z REPLIED 8000 FT. I LOOKED AT THE RADAR AND SAW Y 2 MI N OF BZM ENTERING HOLD, LEVEL AT 8000 FT. (THE DATA BLOCK ON Y WAS NOT IN COAST BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF THERE WAS A TARGET). I CLRED Y TO 'TURN L IMMEDIATELY, FLY HDG 360 DEGS. I ASKED X HIS ALT AND HE REPLIED LEAVING 6000 FT FOR 4000 FT. I DSNDED Y TO 7000 FT.

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.