Narrative:

I was working ZKC sector 3, a super high sector with the altitudes of FL350 and above. Traffic was light with unknown chop in the northern half. I was working approximately 6 aircraft, 2 of which were air carrier X and air carrier Y proceeding direct mcw with a final destination of msp. Air carrier Y was sped up to mach .78 or greater and air carrier X was slowed to mach .77 or less. There was only about 1 mi difference between them measured from mcw, so I chose to turn air carrier X 30 degrees behind air carrier Y to increase the spacing. As the aircraft proceeded north, they started to complain about light chop. I had to go off line for coordination and heard an aircraft call. After listening to the tape, I know it was air carrier Y. When I returned to the frequency, air carrier X asked for lower. Due to traffic and his proximity to the sector 26 and sector 41 common boundary (sectors 26 and 41 are north of sector 3 with sector 26 owning FL240-FL350 and sector 41 owning FL370 and above), I told him to expect lower in about 5 mins, then I asked who else called center. There was no response. About 1 min later, air carrier Y called for a radio check and I told him to go ahead. Air carrier Y stated he needed to slow to mach .76 for the chop. I 'unabled' him at the time, telling him I had company 'vectored' behind for spacing and I would let him slow as soon as possible. I slowed air carrier X to mach .75 or less then about 1 min later let air carrier Y slow to mach .76 or greater. Air carrier X asked for lower again and with traffic no factor, I descended him to FL350 and cleared him on course, placed FL330 in the flight plan and thought I initiated a handoff to sector 26. Then air carrier Y asked for lower about 3 mi into sector 41's airspace. He had been handed off but was at the base of their altitudes, so I called them and let them know he wanted lower and that I would put in the amendment and hand him off to sector 26. After several attempts to '/ok' the information into the data block, I started the handoff to sector 26. This was the time that I assumed air carrier X crossed the sector 26/3 boundary without a handoff. I called D-26 to coordination what was going on and he was unaware of air carrier X. Being taken off guard, since I assumed they had the handoff, I said 'oh *#@^ I just violated the @*^$ out of you,' at which time I started the handoff and they bought it. I then shipped both aircraft and that was it. I feel one of the factors was air carrier Y not listening up. If he would have answered when I asked who was calling, I would have had more time to react to the request to slow. As it was, by the time he asked, he was almost to the sector boundary and I had to scramble to get company following him slowed and descended, so I could let air carrier Y slow. I also should have just shipped air carrier Y to sector 41 to ask for lower instead of trying to get it all done for the next controller. If I would have let them field the request, I would have had time to see that air carrier X had not been handed off. Supplemental information from acn 639715: sector 3 was working the airplane, when a confliction arose. The controller turned the aircraft to resolve the potential. The controller believed that my sector had accepted the handoff and allowed the aircraft to enter my airspace. The deviation was discovered when the controller called to tell me what the aircraft was doing and I told him that I did not know who he was talking about. Contributing factors: an aircraft encountered turbulence and slowed without telling the controller. Supplemental information from acn 640081: sector 3 had air carrier Y on a 340 degree heading at FL350. He entered sector 26 without a handoff. I was the controller of R26 at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGH ALT ARTCC RADAR CTLR WORKING 2 FLTS IN TRAIL APCHING AN ADJACENT SECTOR FAILS TO MAKE A HDOF ON THE TRAILING ACFT RESULTING IN AN OPDEV.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ZKC SECTOR 3, A SUPER HIGH SECTOR WITH THE ALTS OF FL350 AND ABOVE. TFC WAS LIGHT WITH UNKNOWN CHOP IN THE NORTHERN HALF. I WAS WORKING APPROX 6 ACFT, 2 OF WHICH WERE ACR X AND ACR Y PROCEEDING DIRECT MCW WITH A FINAL DEST OF MSP. ACR Y WAS SPED UP TO MACH .78 OR GREATER AND ACR X WAS SLOWED TO MACH .77 OR LESS. THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT 1 MI DIFFERENCE BTWN THEM MEASURED FROM MCW, SO I CHOSE TO TURN ACR X 30 DEGS BEHIND ACR Y TO INCREASE THE SPACING. AS THE ACFT PROCEEDED N, THEY STARTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT LIGHT CHOP. I HAD TO GO OFF LINE FOR COORD AND HEARD AN ACFT CALL. AFTER LISTENING TO THE TAPE, I KNOW IT WAS ACR Y. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE FREQ, ACR X ASKED FOR LOWER. DUE TO TFC AND HIS PROX TO THE SECTOR 26 AND SECTOR 41 COMMON BOUNDARY (SECTORS 26 AND 41 ARE N OF SECTOR 3 WITH SECTOR 26 OWNING FL240-FL350 AND SECTOR 41 OWNING FL370 AND ABOVE), I TOLD HIM TO EXPECT LOWER IN ABOUT 5 MINS, THEN I ASKED WHO ELSE CALLED CTR. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, ACR Y CALLED FOR A RADIO CHK AND I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD. ACR Y STATED HE NEEDED TO SLOW TO MACH .76 FOR THE CHOP. I 'UNABLED' HIM AT THE TIME, TELLING HIM I HAD COMPANY 'VECTORED' BEHIND FOR SPACING AND I WOULD LET HIM SLOW ASAP. I SLOWED ACR X TO MACH .75 OR LESS THEN ABOUT 1 MIN LATER LET ACR Y SLOW TO MACH .76 OR GREATER. ACR X ASKED FOR LOWER AGAIN AND WITH TFC NO FACTOR, I DSNDED HIM TO FL350 AND CLRED HIM ON COURSE, PLACED FL330 IN THE FLT PLAN AND THOUGHT I INITIATED A HDOF TO SECTOR 26. THEN ACR Y ASKED FOR LOWER ABOUT 3 MI INTO SECTOR 41'S AIRSPACE. HE HAD BEEN HANDED OFF BUT WAS AT THE BASE OF THEIR ALTS, SO I CALLED THEM AND LET THEM KNOW HE WANTED LOWER AND THAT I WOULD PUT IN THE AMENDMENT AND HAND HIM OFF TO SECTOR 26. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO '/OK' THE INFO INTO THE DATA BLOCK, I STARTED THE HDOF TO SECTOR 26. THIS WAS THE TIME THAT I ASSUMED ACR X CROSSED THE SECTOR 26/3 BOUNDARY WITHOUT A HDOF. I CALLED D-26 TO COORD WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HE WAS UNAWARE OF ACR X. BEING TAKEN OFF GUARD, SINCE I ASSUMED THEY HAD THE HDOF, I SAID 'OH *#@^ I JUST VIOLATED THE @*^$ OUT OF YOU,' AT WHICH TIME I STARTED THE HDOF AND THEY BOUGHT IT. I THEN SHIPPED BOTH ACFT AND THAT WAS IT. I FEEL ONE OF THE FACTORS WAS ACR Y NOT LISTENING UP. IF HE WOULD HAVE ANSWERED WHEN I ASKED WHO WAS CALLING, I WOULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO REACT TO THE REQUEST TO SLOW. AS IT WAS, BY THE TIME HE ASKED, HE WAS ALMOST TO THE SECTOR BOUNDARY AND I HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO GET COMPANY FOLLOWING HIM SLOWED AND DSNDED, SO I COULD LET ACR Y SLOW. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE JUST SHIPPED ACR Y TO SECTOR 41 TO ASK FOR LOWER INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET IT ALL DONE FOR THE NEXT CTLR. IF I WOULD HAVE LET THEM FIELD THE REQUEST, I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO SEE THAT ACR X HAD NOT BEEN HANDED OFF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639715: SECTOR 3 WAS WORKING THE AIRPLANE, WHEN A CONFLICTION AROSE. THE CTLR TURNED THE ACFT TO RESOLVE THE POTENTIAL. THE CTLR BELIEVED THAT MY SECTOR HAD ACCEPTED THE HDOF AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO ENTER MY AIRSPACE. THE DEV WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE CTLR CALLED TO TELL ME WHAT THE ACFT WAS DOING AND I TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHO HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AN ACFT ENCOUNTERED TURB AND SLOWED WITHOUT TELLING THE CTLR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 640081: SECTOR 3 HAD ACR Y ON A 340 DEG HDG AT FL350. HE ENTERED SECTOR 26 WITHOUT A HDOF. I WAS THE CTLR OF R26 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.