A busy ARTCC radar controller with no handoff data assistant was involved in a loss of separation situation between an aircraft on his frequency and another aircraft on the adjacent sectors frequency. The data block tag was dropped by someone at the adjacent sector when the aircraft entered his airspace. The reporter attributes traffic saturation on both sectors as the cause.

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Attributes
ACN	377416
Time
Date	199708
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hmv
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	377416
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 25200 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Area was understaffed. WX moved into the area at same time many aircraft belonging to racing teams returned to nc from a race up north. Sector I was working (alone) became saturated with traffic with little warning. I asked for help but none was available. I ended up taking a radar handoff on an aircraft that was at an altitude wrong for direction. This aircraft got within 5 mi of opposite direction traffic at its altitude. The sector above mine had not switched the aircraft to my frequency until the error occurred. That sector was also saturated with traffic but had a d-side and a tracker. Someone dropped the data block off their scope before the aircraft was switched to my frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BUSY ARTCC RADAR CTLR WITH NO HDOF DATA ASSISTANT WAS INVOLVED IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION SIT BTWN AN ACFT ON HIS FREQ AND ANOTHER ACFT ON THE ADJACENT SECTORS FREQ. THE DATA BLOCK TAG WAS DROPPED BY SOMEONE AT THE ADJACENT SECTOR WHEN THE ACFT ENTERED HIS AIRSPACE. THE RPTR ATTRIBUTES TFC SATURATION ON BOTH SECTORS AS THE CAUSE.

Narrative: AREA WAS UNDERSTAFFED. WX MOVED INTO THE AREA AT SAME TIME MANY ACFT BELONGING TO RACING TEAMS RETURNED TO NC FROM A RACE UP N. SECTOR I WAS WORKING (ALONE) BECAME SATURATED WITH TFC WITH LITTLE WARNING. I ASKED FOR HELP BUT NONE WAS AVAILABLE. I ENDED UP TAKING A RADAR HDOF ON AN ACFT THAT WAS AT AN ALT WRONG FOR DIRECTION. THIS ACFT GOT WITHIN 5 MI OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT ITS ALT. THE SECTOR ABOVE MINE HAD NOT SWITCHED THE ACFT TO MY FREQ UNTIL THE ERROR OCCURRED. THAT SECTOR WAS ALSO SATURATED WITH TFC BUT HAD A D-SIDE AND A TRACKER. SOMEONE DROPPED THE DATA BLOCK OFF THEIR SCOPE BEFORE THE ACFT WAS SWITCHED TO MY FREQ.

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.