Narrative:

I was working the radar position at the cribb sector, which is mainly all of the east departures off of ord and mdw airports. I had a d-side next to me and my traffic consisted of 4 departures and 2 head-on overflts coming right at my sector. I had just signed on duty and sat down at the sector and my d-side asked me if she could take a break. I had no idea how long she had been there and today could be a slow traffic day. As soon as my d-side left, I started to get a steady number of departures. With every departure, you have to take your eyes off of your traffic and locate the departure strip to place next to your other departure strips. The 2 head-on overflts did not help the situation, since I had to judge if my departures were climbing fast enough to top them or I would have to stop them at 17000 ft and take them underneath the overflts. With the distraction of constantly searching for departure strips (d-side's job) and the 2 head-on overflts (both of these overflts were dtw departures and normally rted around the cribb sector so that the departures can climb easily), I had stopped 3 departures at 17000 ft to take under the air carrier Y, which was at FL180. With the constant distractions, I did a second check of my strips to make sure they were stopped at 17000 ft and noticed air carrier X climbing to FL230. I saw that the 2 targets were going to be tight and turned air carrier X to a 170 degree heading and had him expedite his climb. Contributing factors: this sector has many distractions and should always have a d-side when moderately busy. Overflts should, if at all possible, not be cleared down the middle of a departure sector. Surrounding noise: a lot of loud conversation which was not ATC related.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR INVOLVED IN OPERROR DIRECTLY AFTER ASSUMING CTL SECTOR, AND ALLOWING HDOF CTLR TO TAKE A RELIEF BREAK.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS AT THE CRIBB SECTOR, WHICH IS MAINLY ALL OF THE E DEPS OFF OF ORD AND MDW ARPTS. I HAD A D-SIDE NEXT TO ME AND MY TFC CONSISTED OF 4 DEPS AND 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS COMING RIGHT AT MY SECTOR. I HAD JUST SIGNED ON DUTY AND SAT DOWN AT THE SECTOR AND MY D-SIDE ASKED ME IF SHE COULD TAKE A BREAK. I HAD NO IDEA HOW LONG SHE HAD BEEN THERE AND TODAY COULD BE A SLOW TFC DAY. AS SOON AS MY D-SIDE LEFT, I STARTED TO GET A STEADY NUMBER OF DEPS. WITH EVERY DEP, YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF YOUR TFC AND LOCATE THE DEP STRIP TO PLACE NEXT TO YOUR OTHER DEP STRIPS. THE 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS DID NOT HELP THE SIT, SINCE I HAD TO JUDGE IF MY DEPS WERE CLBING FAST ENOUGH TO TOP THEM OR I WOULD HAVE TO STOP THEM AT 17000 FT AND TAKE THEM UNDERNEATH THE OVERFLTS. WITH THE DISTR OF CONSTANTLY SEARCHING FOR DEP STRIPS (D-SIDE'S JOB) AND THE 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS (BOTH OF THESE OVERFLTS WERE DTW DEPS AND NORMALLY RTED AROUND THE CRIBB SECTOR SO THAT THE DEPS CAN CLB EASILY), I HAD STOPPED 3 DEPS AT 17000 FT TO TAKE UNDER THE ACR Y, WHICH WAS AT FL180. WITH THE CONSTANT DISTRACTIONS, I DID A SECOND CHK OF MY STRIPS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE STOPPED AT 17000 FT AND NOTICED ACR X CLBING TO FL230. I SAW THAT THE 2 TARGETS WERE GOING TO BE TIGHT AND TURNED ACR X TO A 170 DEG HDG AND HAD HIM EXPEDITE HIS CLB. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THIS SECTOR HAS MANY DISTRACTIONS AND SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A D-SIDE WHEN MODERATELY BUSY. OVERFLTS SHOULD, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, NOT BE CLRED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A DEP SECTOR. SURROUNDING NOISE: A LOT OF LOUD CONVERSATION WHICH WAS NOT ATC RELATED.

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.