Narrative:

Position being worked became unmanageable. As position were de- combined by altitude, it was found the satellite position keyboard was paired with arrival/departure keyboard preventing automated handoffs. Information (strips) were passed. A flight of 4 F16's (Y) departed VFR in conflict with a VFR (Z) on vectors for a practice approach. The satellite position called traffic for the VFR, however no guard frequency at the position to call the F16's. These distractions led to a loss of separation between 2 IFR flts at 4000 ft, (west and X). An attempt was made to turn both act, however it took several xmissions before either aircraft acknowledged. It was later found out that one of the aircraft was experiencing radio problems, but took no action to correct it. He just continued his flight to sus. He didn't notify us of radio problems once we established contact. Supplemental information from acn 411116: I was attempting to de-combine a radar sector to relieve pressure off of the other controller that was very behind in traffic. The problem arose when the relieving controller did not resolve a conflict between 2 aircraft on converging courses at the same altitude. Equipment problems with configuring the scope to accept handoffs, and F16's departed sgh VFR on an intercept heading to a PA28 at the same altitude, I attempted to turn the F16's on 243.0, but I did not have the frequency. So I had to tell someone else to do it. Shortly after that someone in the radar room called out and said you have a pair of '4's,' my reply was where, because I had not assumed the position yet. I attempted to call the aircraft involved and neither replied. The next transmission I made to one of my aircraft heard me and I turned him to avoid further conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 TRACON CTLRS ATTEMPTING TO DECOMBINE CTL POS DUE TO TFC WORKLOAD AND VOLUME. CTL POS BEING DECOMBINED UNABLE TO ENSURE SEPARATION WITH 2 IFR ACFT. DISTR WERE POS DECOMBINING PROBS, VFR ACFT, FREQ CONGESTION AND FREQ PROBS.

Narrative: POS BEING WORKED BECAME UNMANAGEABLE. AS POS WERE DE- COMBINED BY ALT, IT WAS FOUND THE SATELLITE POS KEYBOARD WAS PAIRED WITH ARR/DEP KEYBOARD PREVENTING AUTOMATED HDOFS. INFO (STRIPS) WERE PASSED. A FLT OF 4 F16'S (Y) DEPARTED VFR IN CONFLICT WITH A VFR (Z) ON VECTORS FOR A PRACTICE APCH. THE SATELLITE POS CALLED TFC FOR THE VFR, HOWEVER NO GUARD FREQ AT THE POS TO CALL THE F16'S. THESE DISTRACTIONS LED TO A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN 2 IFR FLTS AT 4000 FT, (W AND X). AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO TURN BOTH ACT, HOWEVER IT TOOK SEVERAL XMISSIONS BEFORE EITHER ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED. IT WAS LATER FOUND OUT THAT ONE OF THE ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING RADIO PROBS, BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO CORRECT IT. HE JUST CONTINUED HIS FLT TO SUS. HE DIDN'T NOTIFY US OF RADIO PROBS ONCE WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 411116: I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DE-COMBINE A RADAR SECTOR TO RELIEVE PRESSURE OFF OF THE OTHER CTLR THAT WAS VERY BEHIND IN TFC. THE PROB AROSE WHEN THE RELIEVING CTLR DID NOT RESOLVE A CONFLICT BTWN 2 ACFT ON CONVERGING COURSES AT THE SAME ALT. EQUIP PROBS WITH CONFIGURING THE SCOPE TO ACCEPT HDOFS, AND F16'S DEPARTED SGH VFR ON AN INTERCEPT HEADING TO A PA28 AT THE SAME ALT, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE F16'S ON 243.0, BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE FREQ. SO I HAD TO TELL SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT SOMEONE IN THE RADAR ROOM CALLED OUT AND SAID YOU HAVE A PAIR OF '4'S,' MY REPLY WAS WHERE, BECAUSE I HAD NOT ASSUMED THE POS YET. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE ACFT INVOLVED AND NEITHER REPLIED. THE NEXT XMISSION I MADE TO ONE OF MY ACFT HEARD ME AND I TURNED HIM TO AVOID FURTHER CONFLICT.

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.