Narrative:

I was working the hi altitude (R46, FL240-FL600) radar position when the R43 ultra-sector (FL350-FL600) opened up. This ultra-high sector took my altitudes of FL350-FL600. I forgot that it had opened and climbed an aircraft from FL330 to FL370, which was into another controller's sector without a handoff or permission. Opposite direction traffic at FL370 was now being worked by the new R43 controller. The intruder aircraft (the one that I climbed) went unnoticed by the other controller as there was no data block. The conflict alert activated about the same time the aircraft's TCASII instructed the pilots to take evasive action, which they did promptly to avert a midair collision. There was no d-side controller on either position (myself and the other controller were working alone because of staffing shortages). Although this is considered safe and allowable under the regulations, another person on either sector could have reminded me that R-43 was open or noticed the limited data block of the mode C intruder that I climbed. Supplemental information from acn 328408: no conflict report/advisory was given by ZME (134.92). Our climb and the B757's descent prevented a possible midair. Supplemental information from acn 328776: we told ZME about the conflict, but the controller didn't respond directly. The next sector asked us if the previous controller had issued TA's to us and we responded 'no.' I'm glad we had him visually. I was technically at the aircraft's service ceiling (FL370 on an MD88) when TCASII directed a 1500 FPM climb. Had we been in IMC, it would have been really interesting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS WHEN CTLR FORGOT ULTRA SECTOR OPENED (FL350-FL600) AND CLBED AN MD88 TO FL370. CONFLICT WITH B757 OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT THE SAME ALT. NEW SECTOR CTLR DID NOT OBSERVE CLBING TFC AS NO DATA BLOCK WAS DISPLAYED. BOTH ACFT TOOK TCASII EVASIVE ACTION. OPERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE HI ALT (R46, FL240-FL600) RADAR POS WHEN THE R43 ULTRA-SECTOR (FL350-FL600) OPENED UP. THIS ULTRA-HIGH SECTOR TOOK MY ALTS OF FL350-FL600. I FORGOT THAT IT HAD OPENED AND CLBED AN ACFT FROM FL330 TO FL370, WHICH WAS INTO ANOTHER CTLR'S SECTOR WITHOUT A HDOF OR PERMISSION. OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL370 WAS NOW BEING WORKED BY THE NEW R43 CTLR. THE INTRUDER ACFT (THE ONE THAT I CLBED) WENT UNNOTICED BY THE OTHER CTLR AS THERE WAS NO DATA BLOCK. THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE ACFT'S TCASII INSTRUCTED THE PLTS TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION, WHICH THEY DID PROMPTLY TO AVERT A MIDAIR COLLISION. THERE WAS NO D-SIDE CTLR ON EITHER POS (MYSELF AND THE OTHER CTLR WERE WORKING ALONE BECAUSE OF STAFFING SHORTAGES). ALTHOUGH THIS IS CONSIDERED SAFE AND ALLOWABLE UNDER THE REGS, ANOTHER PERSON ON EITHER SECTOR COULD HAVE REMINDED ME THAT R-43 WAS OPEN OR NOTICED THE LIMITED DATA BLOCK OF THE MODE C INTRUDER THAT I CLBED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 328408: NO CONFLICT RPT/ADVISORY WAS GIVEN BY ZME (134.92). OUR CLB AND THE B757'S DSCNT PREVENTED A POSSIBLE MIDAIR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 328776: WE TOLD ZME ABOUT THE CONFLICT, BUT THE CTLR DIDN'T RESPOND DIRECTLY. THE NEXT SECTOR ASKED US IF THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD ISSUED TA'S TO US AND WE RESPONDED 'NO.' I'M GLAD WE HAD HIM VISUALLY. I WAS TECHNICALLY AT THE ACFT'S SVC CEILING (FL370 ON AN MD88) WHEN TCASII DIRECTED A 1500 FPM CLB. HAD WE BEEN IN IMC, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY INTERESTING.

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.