Narrative:

As the ewo lo sector radar controller I approved a point out from bwg lo sector on an air carrier X climbing FL290, later I approved a point out from lex lo sector on an air carrier Y climbing to FL230 based on the distance and altitude of the 2 aircraft as well as rates of climb. Both aircraft were stopped at FL210 by the controllers that were in contact with them, I was never notified, which by the way is a regulation in the 7110.65 to advise the controller whose airspace the aircraft is in before making amendments to that aircraft. They, X and Y flight, lost separation in my airspace. I am considered the primary controller responsible for separation. How can I separate aircraft when amendments have been made to these aircraft without prior approval? Supplemental information from acn 314778: I was working at the lou hi sector which owns FL240-FL330. Air carrier X was a bna departure proceeding direct iiu and by LOA with ZME climbing to FL290. His climb rate was extremely slow. At about the time this aircraft was south of ewo and around FL200, I took a handoff on air carrier Y, a cvg departure swbound climbing to FL230. Although I recognized the 2 aircraft as a potential problem, I was not initially concerned with the situation, assuming the ewo sector (the low altitude sector in whose airspace the aircraft were located) had taken steps to resolve the conflict. When it became apparent to me that they indeed were not resolving the problem, I stopped X at FL210 and entered the temporary altitude in the data block. At almost the same time, the lex 10 sector who was still talking to Y (and unknown to me) stopped Y at FL210 in an effort to avoid X. Shortly thereafter my d-man (who had coordinated with lex 10) told me to climb and turn X which I did. In my opinion, the cause of this error was the failure of the ewo lo controller to insure separation of aircraft with his area of jurisdiction. Supplemental information from acn 314789: the following aircraft idents involved are X climbing off bna nebound over lou to FL290 according to data block and Y, cvg departure climbing swbound over lou VOR to FL230. Requesting FL310, a tracker was plugged in with lex radar controller and 'D' side training was also being conducted. The lex tracker pointed out air carrier Y to the ewo lo radar controller who approved the point-out. (Aircraft climb rates were slow, WX hazy, hot, very humid.) lex tracker observed X flight to be climbing very slow and aprqued Y stop at FL210 with ewo lo, handed off to lou high radar controller and had to advise the lou high 'D' side of the action. Next update lex radar controller aware of after completing other actions is that the lou high radar controller has stopped the X flight at FL210 and now showing T210 in data block. Lex tracker advised lex radar and recommended an immediate course of action for air carrier Y to turn right fly heading 270 degrees and expedite the turn. I feel the ewo lo controller, with the extreme poor climb rates experienced during the summer especially here in the midwest this yr, that the ewo lo radar controller should have worked both aircraft, since that position was the first to know about both aircraft, and could have provided positive separation. This incident occurred in the ewo sector airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X STOPPED AT SAME ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: AS THE EWO LO SECTOR RADAR CTLR I APPROVED A POINT OUT FROM BWG LO SECTOR ON AN ACR X CLBING FL290, LATER I APPROVED A POINT OUT FROM LEX LO SECTOR ON AN ACR Y CLBING TO FL230 BASED ON THE DISTANCE AND ALT OF THE 2 ACFT AS WELL AS RATES OF CLB. BOTH ACFT WERE STOPPED AT FL210 BY THE CTLRS THAT WERE IN CONTACT WITH THEM, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, WHICH BY THE WAY IS A REG IN THE 7110.65 TO ADVISE THE CTLR WHOSE AIRSPACE THE ACFT IS IN BEFORE MAKING AMENDMENTS TO THAT ACFT. THEY, X AND Y FLT, LOST SEPARATION IN MY AIRSPACE. I AM CONSIDERED THE PRIMARY CTLR RESPONSIBLE FOR SEPARATION. HOW CAN I SEPARATE ACFT WHEN AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THESE ACFT WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314778: I WAS WORKING AT THE LOU HI SECTOR WHICH OWNS FL240-FL330. ACR X WAS A BNA DEP PROCEEDING DIRECT IIU AND BY LOA WITH ZME CLBING TO FL290. HIS CLB RATE WAS EXTREMELY SLOW. AT ABOUT THE TIME THIS ACFT WAS S OF EWO AND AROUND FL200, I TOOK A HDOF ON ACR Y, A CVG DEP SWBOUND CLBING TO FL230. ALTHOUGH I RECOGNIZED THE 2 ACFT AS A POTENTIAL PROB, I WAS NOT INITIALLY CONCERNED WITH THE SIT, ASSUMING THE EWO SECTOR (THE LOW ALT SECTOR IN WHOSE AIRSPACE THE ACFT WERE LOCATED) HAD TAKEN STEPS TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THEY INDEED WERE NOT RESOLVING THE PROB, I STOPPED X AT FL210 AND ENTERED THE TEMPORARY ALT IN THE DATA BLOCK. AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME, THE LEX 10 SECTOR WHO WAS STILL TALKING TO Y (AND UNKNOWN TO ME) STOPPED Y AT FL210 IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID X. SHORTLY THEREAFTER MY D-MAN (WHO HAD COORDINATED WITH LEX 10) TOLD ME TO CLB AND TURN X WHICH I DID. IN MY OPINION, THE CAUSE OF THIS ERROR WAS THE FAILURE OF THE EWO LO CTLR TO INSURE SEPARATION OF ACFT WITH HIS AREA OF JURISDICTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314789: THE FOLLOWING ACFT IDENTS INVOLVED ARE X CLBING OFF BNA NEBOUND OVER LOU TO FL290 ACCORDING TO DATA BLOCK AND Y, CVG DEP CLBING SWBOUND OVER LOU VOR TO FL230. REQUESTING FL310, A TRACKER WAS PLUGGED IN WITH LEX RADAR CTLR AND 'D' SIDE TRAINING WAS ALSO BEING CONDUCTED. THE LEX TRACKER POINTED OUT ACR Y TO THE EWO LO RADAR CTLR WHO APPROVED THE POINT-OUT. (ACFT CLB RATES WERE SLOW, WX HAZY, HOT, VERY HUMID.) LEX TRACKER OBSERVED X FLT TO BE CLBING VERY SLOW AND APRQUED Y STOP AT FL210 WITH EWO LO, HANDED OFF TO LOU HIGH RADAR CTLR AND HAD TO ADVISE THE LOU HIGH 'D' SIDE OF THE ACTION. NEXT UPDATE LEX RADAR CTLR AWARE OF AFTER COMPLETING OTHER ACTIONS IS THAT THE LOU HIGH RADAR CTLR HAS STOPPED THE X FLT AT FL210 AND NOW SHOWING T210 IN DATA BLOCK. LEX TRACKER ADVISED LEX RADAR AND RECOMMENDED AN IMMEDIATE COURSE OF ACTION FOR ACR Y TO TURN R FLY HDG 270 DEGS AND EXPEDITE THE TURN. I FEEL THE EWO LO CTLR, WITH THE EXTREME POOR CLB RATES EXPERIENCED DURING THE SUMMER ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE MIDWEST THIS YR, THAT THE EWO LO RADAR CTLR SHOULD HAVE WORKED BOTH ACFT, SINCE THAT POS WAS THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT BOTH ACFT, AND COULD HAVE PROVIDED POSITIVE SEPARATION. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE EWO SECTOR AIRSPACE.

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.