Narrative:

Aircraft X was sbound via J89 en route to mco in level flight at FL310. Aircraft Y was northbound direct iiu at FL320 landing ind. OJT was in progress with developmental controller working the radar position. I was instructing. Traffic complexity was increasing. As data blocks became cluttered over iiu; the developmental requested the aid of a handoff controller. As handoff controller was joining the sector; developmental issued descent clearance to aircraft Y to FL300. I advised him to be aware of aircraft X after several seconds lapsed with no corrective action taken by the developmental; I took over the frequency to issue separation vectors. Aircraft X advised descending due to TCAS RA and aircraft Y advised they were climbing. I issued lower altitude to aircraft X and sharp turns to both aircraft; but standard separation not maintained. Contributing factors were rapid and sudden increase in complexity; supervising all controllers at the sector and the supervisor observing us directly; data block clutter at the iiu VORTAC causing me to momentarily lose track of aircraft X thereby not immediately recognizing the directness of the situation; my momentary reluctance to take the sector from a developmental who I felt was near certification and needed to 'work through' the situation; and an unusually slow rate of turn from aircraft Y.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID CTLR PROVIDING OJT IS LATE IN TAKING THE POS FROM THE DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR AND EXPERIENCED AN OPERROR AT FL310.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS SBOUND VIA J89 ENRTE TO MCO IN LEVEL FLT AT FL310. ACFT Y WAS NBOUND DIRECT IIU AT FL320 LNDG IND. OJT WAS IN PROGRESS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR WORKING THE RADAR POS. I WAS INSTRUCTING. TFC COMPLEXITY WAS INCREASING. AS DATA BLOCKS BECAME CLUTTERED OVER IIU; THE DEVELOPMENTAL REQUESTED THE AID OF A HDOF CTLR. AS HDOF CTLR WAS JOINING THE SECTOR; DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO ACFT Y TO FL300. I ADVISED HIM TO BE AWARE OF ACFT X AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS LAPSED WITH NO CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN BY THE DEVELOPMENTAL; I TOOK OVER THE FREQ TO ISSUE SEPARATION VECTORS. ACFT X ADVISED DSNDING DUE TO TCAS RA AND ACFT Y ADVISED THEY WERE CLBING. I ISSUED LOWER ALT TO ACFT X AND SHARP TURNS TO BOTH ACFT; BUT STANDARD SEPARATION NOT MAINTAINED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE RAPID AND SUDDEN INCREASE IN COMPLEXITY; SUPERVISING ALL CTLRS AT THE SECTOR AND THE SUPVR OBSERVING US DIRECTLY; DATA BLOCK CLUTTER AT THE IIU VORTAC CAUSING ME TO MOMENTARILY LOSE TRACK OF ACFT X THEREBY NOT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZING THE DIRECTNESS OF THE SITUATION; MY MOMENTARY RELUCTANCE TO TAKE THE SECTOR FROM A DEVELOPMENTAL WHO I FELT WAS NEAR CERTIFICATION AND NEEDED TO 'WORK THROUGH' THE SITUATION; AND AN UNUSUALLY SLOW RATE OF TURN FROM ACFT Y.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.