Narrative:

Aircraft X sbound FL260 about to enter hold at dnv VOR. From d-side I approve descent to FL260. Citation's route of flight was cgx inbound 40 mi south dnv on approximately 025 degree heading. I thought aircraft X was to hold with right turns (like other aircraft also holding). ZID had completely shut us off due to saturation, and every aircraft in our airspace was on a vector or in the hold. ZID tells me they will take aircraft X climbing to FL330, 20 degree left turn. I try to tell r-side to give this clearance, but he cannot, as he is vectoring and descending/climbing two other aircraft to barely achieve minimum separation. As this situation was being resolved, aircraft X entered the holding pattern using left turns. He had in fact been issued left turns but I thought (in error) that he had been given right turns. This turn put him on an intercept with aircraft Y. I realized they were now in conflict and brought it to the r-side's attention. He gave evasive action vectors to avoid a midair. Due to the fact that we had been shut off by ZID without warning and were scrambling to vector and hold, strip marking had deteriorated to a point of uselessness. Supplemental information from acn 418350: I was working the boiler high altitude sector at the handoff position. While turning all airplanes in the sector away from the king sector, an aircraft at FL260, an airline jet, and a citation came together. Evasive maneuvers were attempted by our radar controller with no response from the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU D-SIDE CTLR ISSUES CTL INSTRUCTIONS TO ADJOINING ZID CTLR INCORRECTLY ASSUMING DIRECTION OF HOLDING TURNS ISSUED BY HIS R-SIDE CTLR.

Narrative: ACFT X SBOUND FL260 ABOUT TO ENTER HOLD AT DNV VOR. FROM D-SIDE I APPROVE DSCNT TO FL260. CITATION'S RTE OF FLT WAS CGX INBOUND 40 MI S DNV ON APPROX 025 DEG HDG. I THOUGHT ACFT X WAS TO HOLD WITH R TURNS (LIKE OTHER ACFT ALSO HOLDING). ZID HAD COMPLETELY SHUT US OFF DUE TO SATURATION, AND EVERY ACFT IN OUR AIRSPACE WAS ON A VECTOR OR IN THE HOLD. ZID TELLS ME THEY WILL TAKE ACFT X CLBING TO FL330, 20 DEG L TURN. I TRY TO TELL R-SIDE TO GIVE THIS CLRNC, BUT HE CANNOT, AS HE IS VECTORING AND DSNDING/CLBING TWO OTHER ACFT TO BARELY ACHIEVE MINIMUM SEPARATION. AS THIS SIT WAS BEING RESOLVED, ACFT X ENTERED THE HOLDING PATTERN USING L TURNS. HE HAD IN FACT BEEN ISSUED L TURNS BUT I THOUGHT (IN ERROR) THAT HE HAD BEEN GIVEN R TURNS. THIS TURN PUT HIM ON AN INTERCEPT WITH ACFT Y. I REALIZED THEY WERE NOW IN CONFLICT AND BROUGHT IT TO THE R-SIDE'S ATTN. HE GAVE EVASIVE ACTION VECTORS TO AVOID A MIDAIR. DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN SHUT OFF BY ZID WITHOUT WARNING AND WERE SCRAMBLING TO VECTOR AND HOLD, STRIP MARKING HAD DETERIORATED TO A POINT OF USELESSNESS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 418350: I WAS WORKING THE BOILER HIGH ALT SECTOR AT THE HDOF POS. WHILE TURNING ALL AIRPLANES IN THE SECTOR AWAY FROM THE KING SECTOR, AN ACFT AT FL260, AN AIRLINE JET, AND A CITATION CAME TOGETHER. EVASIVE MANEUVERS WERE ATTEMPTED BY OUR RADAR CTLR WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACFT.

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.