Narrative:

WX was a factor. We had been in and out of holding for iah due to thunderstorms on the field. I was working the low altitude (8000 ft - FL230) arrival sector at ZHU. There was some confusion as to whether we were supposed to give houston approach extended mi in trail of 'free flow.' I was told 20 mi in trail over the inbound fix and the high altitude controller was feeding 1 free flow thus increasing my workload and necessitating coordination between ourselves and our supervisors to straighten out the situation. The distraction of this plus the aircraft needing to deviate to alternate airports. The computer entries needed for their flight plans to process correctly to receiving facilities without the help of a radar associate 'D-side.' I vectored an aircraft FL220 to northeast heading 040 degrees. Another aircraft approximately 30 mi north of him sbound at FL230 approaching minimum fuel. I descended the sbound aircraft to FL200 then turned him to northwest direct stros intersection to join arrival. Lost separation on northwest quadrant of traffic at FL220 as descending aircraft was making turn to the northwest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT APPROX FL220 DURING BUSY COMPLEX TFC PERIOD WHILE TRYING TO VECTOR ONE ACFT BELOW ANOTHER.

Narrative: WX WAS A FACTOR. WE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF HOLDING FOR IAH DUE TO TSTMS ON THE FIELD. I WAS WORKING THE LOW ALT (8000 FT - FL230) ARR SECTOR AT ZHU. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE HOUSTON APCH EXTENDED MI IN TRAIL OF 'FREE FLOW.' I WAS TOLD 20 MI IN TRAIL OVER THE INBOUND FIX AND THE HIGH ALT CTLR WAS FEEDING 1 FREE FLOW THUS INCREASING MY WORKLOAD AND NECESSITATING COORD BTWN OURSELVES AND OUR SUPVRS TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE SITUATION. THE DISTR OF THIS PLUS THE ACFT NEEDING TO DEVIATE TO ALTERNATE ARPTS. THE COMPUTER ENTRIES NEEDED FOR THEIR FLT PLANS TO PROCESS CORRECTLY TO RECEIVING FACILITIES WITHOUT THE HELP OF A RADAR ASSOCIATE 'D-SIDE.' I VECTORED AN ACFT FL220 TO NE HDG 040 DEGS. ANOTHER ACFT APPROX 30 MI N OF HIM SBOUND AT FL230 APCHING MINIMUM FUEL. I DSNDED THE SBOUND ACFT TO FL200 THEN TURNED HIM TO NW DIRECT STROS INTXN TO JOIN ARR. LOST SEPARATION ON NW QUADRANT OF TFC AT FL220 AS DSNDING ACFT WAS MAKING TURN TO THE NW.

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.