Narrative:

W59 was scheduled and when military jet flight departed mjf, I began notifying surrounding sectors in order to get the airspace sterilized. I allowed an air carrier Y flight to proceed through the airspace at FL330. This is common procedure and we usually sterilize the airspace at the transiting aircraft's altitude and above. I sought mjf's concurrence with my plan, indicating he could expect the entire airspace about 10 mins after ingress. Mjf asked me what type aircraft and carrier name the traffic was. I told him who and what the traffic was and then mjf accepted my plan. Meanwhile, I had 3 tfr's in my airspace. All were FL180 and below. These were new restrs (for GA and part 91) due to heightened security. 2 of them conflicted with descent paths on the awdad arrival. Each time I gave a crossing clearance to an aircraft, I had to remind myself to not separate an air carrier from the tfr's. I was working 2 aircraft whose flight paths were going to conflict with the restr areas. Also at the time, I had 3 departures (2 from btr, 1 from msy), 4 or more arrs (3 or 4 to msy, 1 to btr) and 1 overflt VFR. Mjf called me. I looked and saw he was about 15 mi from the lateral boundary of W59 a, B, C from 5000 ft to FL320. He immediately responded by saying he had the traffic on radar and could he work above him from FL350 to 500?' his request took me off guard, but I checked his heading and he was separated from the air carrier Y. I quickly cleared mjf to operate in W59 a, B, C from FL350 to 500. At this time, mjf was not yet in W59 (he was just approaching the boundary). I called surrounding sectors to coordinate his altitude assignment. I looked back to the mjf, and it looked like he had turned toward the air carrier Y. He was about 50 NM east of the air carrier Y and climbing from FL297 at about 4500 FPM. Since he was climbing so fast, I judged he would be separated from the air carrier Y in under 2 mins. I decided not to address his turn because he would be separated by altitude. I began issuing clrncs to the rest of the aircraft in my airspace. When I looked back at mjf, his climb rate had slowed to about 500 FPM and he was only at about FL310, climbing. I issued mjf traffic. The air carrier Y was now at mjf's 12 O'clock position and about 15 mi. Mjf rogered me, saying he had the traffic and then he said he was going to stay below the air carrier Y. Since he was now only 10 mi away and had leveled at FL317, I felt he was going to stay at the first altitude block assignment of 5000 ft to FL320. I called the sector that was working the air carrier Y to tell them that mjf was going to stay below the air carrier Y, although I didn't know if he would be at FL310 or FL320. The conflict alert went off. Mjf stayed at FL317 until he passed the air carrier Y then he climbed immediately to FL330. He was 3.5 NM from the air carrier Y at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR DOES NOT ENSURE SEPARATION BTWN MIL FLT AND AN ENRTE FOREIGN ACR TRANSITING MOA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: W59 WAS SCHEDULED AND WHEN MIL JET FLT DEPARTED MJF, I BEGAN NOTIFYING SURROUNDING SECTORS IN ORDER TO GET THE AIRSPACE STERILIZED. I ALLOWED AN ACR Y FLT TO PROCEED THROUGH THE AIRSPACE AT FL330. THIS IS COMMON PROC AND WE USUALLY STERILIZE THE AIRSPACE AT THE TRANSITING ACFT'S ALT AND ABOVE. I SOUGHT MJF'S CONCURRENCE WITH MY PLAN, INDICATING HE COULD EXPECT THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER INGRESS. MJF ASKED ME WHAT TYPE ACFT AND CARRIER NAME THE TFC WAS. I TOLD HIM WHO AND WHAT THE TFC WAS AND THEN MJF ACCEPTED MY PLAN. MEANWHILE, I HAD 3 TFR'S IN MY AIRSPACE. ALL WERE FL180 AND BELOW. THESE WERE NEW RESTRS (FOR GA AND PART 91) DUE TO HEIGHTENED SECURITY. 2 OF THEM CONFLICTED WITH DSCNT PATHS ON THE AWDAD ARR. EACH TIME I GAVE A XING CLRNC TO AN ACFT, I HAD TO REMIND MYSELF TO NOT SEPARATE AN ACR FROM THE TFR'S. I WAS WORKING 2 ACFT WHOSE FLT PATHS WERE GOING TO CONFLICT WITH THE RESTR AREAS. ALSO AT THE TIME, I HAD 3 DEPS (2 FROM BTR, 1 FROM MSY), 4 OR MORE ARRS (3 OR 4 TO MSY, 1 TO BTR) AND 1 OVERFLT VFR. MJF CALLED ME. I LOOKED AND SAW HE WAS ABOUT 15 MI FROM THE LATERAL BOUNDARY OF W59 A, B, C FROM 5000 FT TO FL320. HE IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED BY SAYING HE HAD THE TFC ON RADAR AND COULD HE WORK ABOVE HIM FROM FL350 TO 500?' HIS REQUEST TOOK ME OFF GUARD, BUT I CHKED HIS HDG AND HE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ACR Y. I QUICKLY CLRED MJF TO OPERATE IN W59 A, B, C FROM FL350 TO 500. AT THIS TIME, MJF WAS NOT YET IN W59 (HE WAS JUST APCHING THE BOUNDARY). I CALLED SURROUNDING SECTORS TO COORDINATE HIS ALT ASSIGNMENT. I LOOKED BACK TO THE MJF, AND IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD TURNED TOWARD THE ACR Y. HE WAS ABOUT 50 NM E OF THE ACR Y AND CLBING FROM FL297 AT ABOUT 4500 FPM. SINCE HE WAS CLBING SO FAST, I JUDGED HE WOULD BE SEPARATED FROM THE ACR Y IN UNDER 2 MINS. I DECIDED NOT TO ADDRESS HIS TURN BECAUSE HE WOULD BE SEPARATED BY ALT. I BEGAN ISSUING CLRNCS TO THE REST OF THE ACFT IN MY AIRSPACE. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT MJF, HIS CLB RATE HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 500 FPM AND HE WAS ONLY AT ABOUT FL310, CLBING. I ISSUED MJF TFC. THE ACR Y WAS NOW AT MJF'S 12 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 15 MI. MJF ROGERED ME, SAYING HE HAD THE TFC AND THEN HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO STAY BELOW THE ACR Y. SINCE HE WAS NOW ONLY 10 MI AWAY AND HAD LEVELED AT FL317, I FELT HE WAS GOING TO STAY AT THE FIRST ALT BLOCK ASSIGNMENT OF 5000 FT TO FL320. I CALLED THE SECTOR THAT WAS WORKING THE ACR Y TO TELL THEM THAT MJF WAS GOING TO STAY BELOW THE ACR Y, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WOULD BE AT FL310 OR FL320. THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. MJF STAYED AT FL317 UNTIL HE PASSED THE ACR Y THEN HE CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO FL330. HE WAS 3.5 NM FROM THE ACR Y AT THE TIME.

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.