Narrative:

Aircraft were deviating for WX. The vscs was decombined incorrectly just prior to me assuming the position. The previous controller had asked for article 65 to be invoked. All frequencys were lost. When they were returned the sector was behind. An air carrier got into ZMP without a handoff. There were other sectors that were behind at the time and not correctly configured. This added to the complexity of the system. This was a total system breakdown. Supplemental information from acn 376133: an area supervisor reconfigured the vscs without asking anybody if they were ready. I was working 2 high altitude sectors combined with convective WX activity in 1 sector. Aircraft were deviating around this WX. I was working approximately a dozen aircraft. 2 acrs at FL350 were tight. I was going to issue a turn to insure 5 mi separation. Just as I keyed my microphone to transmit, all of my frequencys went off. I looked at the area supervisor and he was making entries into the computer to reconfigure the vscs to the daytime confign. I told him I lost all my frequencys, that I couldn't transmit, and that I needed to turn an aircraft. My frequencys remained off for approximately 60 seconds. I got my frequencys back just as the 1 air carrier was brushing the 5 mi ring of the second air carrier. The area supervisor had never communicated his intentions to reconfigure the vscs to me. If he had done so this situation would have never occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 RPTS FROM ARTCC RADAR CTLRS STATING THAT A SUPVR CTLR RECONFIGURED THE VSCS WITHOUT WARNING THE CTLRS. ONE ACR ACFT ENTERED AN ADJACENT ARTCC AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF AND THE OTHER CTLR HAD 2 ACFT JUST BARELY MISS WITH 5 MI SEPARATION AT THE SAME ALT. ALL COMS WERE OTS FOR 1-2 MINS. 1 CTLR INVOKED ARTICLE 65 PRIOR TO BEING RELIEVED FROM HIS POS.

Narrative: ACFT WERE DEVIATING FOR WX. THE VSCS WAS DECOMBINED INCORRECTLY JUST PRIOR TO ME ASSUMING THE POS. THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD ASKED FOR ARTICLE 65 TO BE INVOKED. ALL FREQS WERE LOST. WHEN THEY WERE RETURNED THE SECTOR WAS BEHIND. AN ACR GOT INTO ZMP WITHOUT A HDOF. THERE WERE OTHER SECTORS THAT WERE BEHIND AT THE TIME AND NOT CORRECTLY CONFIGURED. THIS ADDED TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYS. THIS WAS A TOTAL SYS BREAKDOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 376133: AN AREA SUPVR RECONFIGURED THE VSCS WITHOUT ASKING ANYBODY IF THEY WERE READY. I WAS WORKING 2 HIGH ALT SECTORS COMBINED WITH CONVECTIVE WX ACTIVITY IN 1 SECTOR. ACFT WERE DEVIATING AROUND THIS WX. I WAS WORKING APPROX A DOZEN ACFT. 2 ACRS AT FL350 WERE TIGHT. I WAS GOING TO ISSUE A TURN TO INSURE 5 MI SEPARATION. JUST AS I KEYED MY MIKE TO XMIT, ALL OF MY FREQS WENT OFF. I LOOKED AT THE AREA SUPVR AND HE WAS MAKING ENTRIES INTO THE COMPUTER TO RECONFIGURE THE VSCS TO THE DAYTIME CONFIGN. I TOLD HIM I LOST ALL MY FREQS, THAT I COULDN'T XMIT, AND THAT I NEEDED TO TURN AN ACFT. MY FREQS REMAINED OFF FOR APPROX 60 SECONDS. I GOT MY FREQS BACK JUST AS THE 1 ACR WAS BRUSHING THE 5 MI RING OF THE SECOND ACR. THE AREA SUPVR HAD NEVER COMMUNICATED HIS INTENTIONS TO RECONFIGURE THE VSCS TO ME. IF HE HAD DONE SO THIS SIT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED.

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.