ZHU radar controller complains about separation techniques used by mmid ARTCC (merida, mexico).

Attributes
ACN	579663
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zhu.artcc
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc artcc : mmid.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmid.artcc artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 11 controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 10 flight time total : 85
ASRS Report	579663
Person 2
Affiliation	government : foreign
Function	controller : radar controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : mmid.artcc

Narrative:

2 aircraft were in cruise flight at FL280 with 12 mins non-radar separation with assigned mach speeds. Merida center, after my continued disapproval, descended an aircraft between them from FL310-FL260. The lead aircraft was in houston ARTCC airspace northwest of kehli on a 766. The descending aircraft and the rear aircraft were just inside merida's airspace. Merida claimed to have radar when explaining why they disregarded my control instruction to leave all planes in level flight. But there was a loss of separation between the non-radar first aircraft and the descending aircraft. Merida center has been continually disregarding houston ARTCC control instructions, failing to pass flight information, so aircraft just show up non-radar in houston ARTCC gulf of mexico airspace. Numerous aircraft are showing up at unapproved altitudes that have led to head-on, non-radar traffic, which houston controllers have fixed. In the month of march this led to a TCASII resolution, near mid air crash over intersection south. Houston ARTCC management has failed to assist the controller in rectifying these problems with merida center controllers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU RADAR CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT SEPARATION TECHNIQUES USED BY MMID ARTCC (MERIDA, MEXICO).

Narrative: 2 ACFT WERE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL280 WITH 12 MINS NON-RADAR SEPARATION WITH ASSIGNED MACH SPDS. MERIDA CTR, AFTER MY CONTINUED DISAPPROVAL, DSNDED AN ACFT BTWN THEM FROM FL310-FL260. THE LEAD ACFT WAS IN HOUSTON ARTCC AIRSPACE NW OF KEHLI ON A 766. THE DSNDING ACFT AND THE REAR ACFT WERE JUST INSIDE MERIDA'S AIRSPACE. MERIDA CLAIMED TO HAVE RADAR WHEN EXPLAINING WHY THEY DISREGARDED MY CTL INSTRUCTION TO LEAVE ALL PLANES IN LEVEL FLT. BUT THERE WAS A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN THE NON-RADAR FIRST ACFT AND THE DSNDING ACFT. MERIDA CTR HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY DISREGARDING HOUSTON ARTCC CTL INSTRUCTIONS, FAILING TO PASS FLT INFO, SO ACFT JUST SHOW UP NON-RADAR IN HOUSTON ARTCC GULF OF MEXICO AIRSPACE. NUMEROUS ACFT ARE SHOWING UP AT UNAPPROVED ALTS THAT HAVE LED TO HEAD-ON, NON-RADAR TFC, WHICH HOUSTON CTLRS HAVE FIXED. IN THE MONTH OF MARCH THIS LED TO A TCASII RESOLUTION, NEAR MID AIR CRASH OVER INTXN S. HOUSTON ARTCC MGMNT HAS FAILED TO ASSIST THE CTLR IN RECTIFYING THESE PROBS WITH MERIDA CTR CTLRS.

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.