Narrative:

I was the radar controller at a high altitude sector (FL240 and above) over the eastern part of nc. After a busy session the sector went from 3 to 2 to 1 controllers (1 being me). An aircraft, XXX, I had just handed off to ZJX was at FL280 sbound. Another aircraft, YYY, was northbound, opposite direction of the XXX in moderate chop. I had gotten control of YYY in ZJX airspace. I had forgotten about the XXX I had handed off to ZJX because the data tag was gone, making the XXX much less obvious. I descended the YYY to FL270, the conflict alert went off. With a lot of talking and confusion on the frequency and my override, I had issued a clearance for the YYY to make an immediate right turn heading 090 degrees and expedite to FL290. YYY had appeared to have just left the altitude (FL290 for FL270). Therefore, a quick return to the altitude would solve the confliction. But due to the confusion an aircraft said, 'clearance blocked,' and time had elapsed having to reissue the clearance again. By then, the ZJX controller was yelling on the shout line that he was turning XXX to the left and climbing to FL290 in my airspace without control (after fact). He was attempting to coordinate this while I was reissuing my original clearance to YYY (after fact). After the YYY received my clearance I jumped on the coordination line with the other controller and realized he had turned the XXX in the same direction I had and climbed the XXX to the altitude I had reclred the YYY to. Quickly I jumped off the line to the frequency. The YYY informed me he was getting a TCASII instruction to descend. I told the pilot to keep climbing, expedite to FL310, a safe altitude -- because at that point the aircraft were 5 mi or less apart and merging. The YYY was a few hundred ft above the XXX (I'm not sure of the specific altitudes). The pilot took my 'climb' clearance over the TCASII instruction. The YYY reported reaching FL310, a safe altitude. I think fatigue was a factor on my behalf due to thunderstorms and bad rides during the shift. Since, I felt, immediate action had to be taken, I didn't know what the ZJX controller was going to do. Since he didn't have control of the XXX in my airspace, if he had not climbed and turned the XXX we might not be writing this letter. On the other hand, if I was aware the XXX was sbound at FL280 and had left the YYY at FL290 until they had passed in ZJX airspace before I descended the YYY, things might have been different, too. But, there was no longer a visual aid of the XXX on my radar scope anymore, making it easy to forget that the XXX was ever there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR IN CLASS A AIRSPACE. RPTR DSNDED A FLT THROUGH AIRSPACE OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT HE HAD HANDED OFF TO AN ADJACENT CTR, BUT STILL IN HIS AIRSPACE. RPTR CITED FATIGUE AND WX AS BEING FACTORS IN HIS PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT A HIGH ALT SECTOR (FL240 AND ABOVE) OVER THE EASTERN PART OF NC. AFTER A BUSY SESSION THE SECTOR WENT FROM 3 TO 2 TO 1 CTLRS (1 BEING ME). AN ACFT, XXX, I HAD JUST HANDED OFF TO ZJX WAS AT FL280 SBOUND. ANOTHER ACFT, YYY, WAS NBOUND, OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE XXX IN MODERATE CHOP. I HAD GOTTEN CTL OF YYY IN ZJX AIRSPACE. I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE XXX I HAD HANDED OFF TO ZJX BECAUSE THE DATA TAG WAS GONE, MAKING THE XXX MUCH LESS OBVIOUS. I DSNDED THE YYY TO FL270, THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. WITH A LOT OF TALKING AND CONFUSION ON THE FREQ AND MY OVERRIDE, I HAD ISSUED A CLRNC FOR THE YYY TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN HDG 090 DEGS AND EXPEDITE TO FL290. YYY HAD APPEARED TO HAVE JUST LEFT THE ALT (FL290 FOR FL270). THEREFORE, A QUICK RETURN TO THE ALT WOULD SOLVE THE CONFLICTION. BUT DUE TO THE CONFUSION AN ACFT SAID, 'CLRNC BLOCKED,' AND TIME HAD ELAPSED HAVING TO REISSUE THE CLRNC AGAIN. BY THEN, THE ZJX CTLR WAS YELLING ON THE SHOUT LINE THAT HE WAS TURNING XXX TO THE L AND CLBING TO FL290 IN MY AIRSPACE WITHOUT CTL (AFTER FACT). HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE THIS WHILE I WAS REISSUING MY ORIGINAL CLRNC TO YYY (AFTER FACT). AFTER THE YYY RECEIVED MY CLRNC I JUMPED ON THE COORD LINE WITH THE OTHER CTLR AND REALIZED HE HAD TURNED THE XXX IN THE SAME DIRECTION I HAD AND CLBED THE XXX TO THE ALT I HAD RECLRED THE YYY TO. QUICKLY I JUMPED OFF THE LINE TO THE FREQ. THE YYY INFORMED ME HE WAS GETTING A TCASII INSTRUCTION TO DSND. I TOLD THE PLT TO KEEP CLBING, EXPEDITE TO FL310, A SAFE ALT -- BECAUSE AT THAT POINT THE ACFT WERE 5 MI OR LESS APART AND MERGING. THE YYY WAS A FEW HUNDRED FT ABOVE THE XXX (I'M NOT SURE OF THE SPECIFIC ALTS). THE PLT TOOK MY 'CLB' CLRNC OVER THE TCASII INSTRUCTION. THE YYY RPTED REACHING FL310, A SAFE ALT. I THINK FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR ON MY BEHALF DUE TO TSTMS AND BAD RIDES DURING THE SHIFT. SINCE, I FELT, IMMEDIATE ACTION HAD TO BE TAKEN, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE ZJX CTLR WAS GOING TO DO. SINCE HE DIDN'T HAVE CTL OF THE XXX IN MY AIRSPACE, IF HE HAD NOT CLBED AND TURNED THE XXX WE MIGHT NOT BE WRITING THIS LETTER. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF I WAS AWARE THE XXX WAS SBOUND AT FL280 AND HAD LEFT THE YYY AT FL290 UNTIL THEY HAD PASSED IN ZJX AIRSPACE BEFORE I DSNDED THE YYY, THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT, TOO. BUT, THERE WAS NO LONGER A VISUAL AID OF THE XXX ON MY RADAR SCOPE ANYMORE, MAKING IT EASY TO FORGET THAT THE XXX WAS EVER THERE.

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.