Narrative:

I was the radar associate at a spacing sector into cincinnati. We have a dual arrival stream that was turned into a single stream per cvg request due to WX deviations in approach airspace. We were working a combined (2) sector. Later cvg put us into hold due to WX at the field. Our supervisor immediately told us to split out the sector. The radar was busy issuing holding instructions to fixes not currently on most of the aircraft's route of flight due to the single stream route. I was busy coordinating with cvg approach; splitting out the sector; and coordinating with a high sector feeding us more cvg arrs. The radar issued hold instructions to aircraft X. Aircraft Y read them back. The readback error was not caught; which resulted in a loss of separation about 3 mins later. According to tape review; I just finished off-line coordination at XA54:34 and the radar issued the instruction at XA54:35. One of the circumstances that increased my workload was that we are required to record hold instructions on the uret; but the correct hold fixes were not available on uret due to several aircraft being cleared into the single stream route already; therefore; I had to record holding instructions on scrap paper and later adjust the rtes to record them in uret. This was never completed due to cvg opening up again. Another factor was splitting the sector while putting several aircraft into hold. The sector should have been split when we went to single stream; anticipating a holding situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID ASSOCIATE CTLR DESCRIBED OPERROR RESULTING FROM AN INCORRECT READBACK DURING HOLDING AND ATTEMPTS TO SPLIT POS.

Narrative: I WAS THE RADAR ASSOCIATE AT A SPACING SECTOR INTO CINCINNATI. WE HAVE A DUAL ARR STREAM THAT WAS TURNED INTO A SINGLE STREAM PER CVG REQUEST DUE TO WX DEVS IN APCH AIRSPACE. WE WERE WORKING A COMBINED (2) SECTOR. LATER CVG PUT US INTO HOLD DUE TO WX AT THE FIELD. OUR SUPVR IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO SPLIT OUT THE SECTOR. THE RADAR WAS BUSY ISSUING HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS TO FIXES NOT CURRENTLY ON MOST OF THE ACFT'S RTE OF FLT DUE TO THE SINGLE STREAM RTE. I WAS BUSY COORDINATING WITH CVG APCH; SPLITTING OUT THE SECTOR; AND COORDINATING WITH A HIGH SECTOR FEEDING US MORE CVG ARRS. THE RADAR ISSUED HOLD INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT X. ACFT Y READ THEM BACK. THE READBACK ERROR WAS NOT CAUGHT; WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION ABOUT 3 MINS LATER. ACCORDING TO TAPE REVIEW; I JUST FINISHED OFF-LINE COORD AT XA54:34 AND THE RADAR ISSUED THE INSTRUCTION AT XA54:35. ONE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT INCREASED MY WORKLOAD WAS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO RECORD HOLD INSTRUCTIONS ON THE URET; BUT THE CORRECT HOLD FIXES WERE NOT AVAILABLE ON URET DUE TO SEVERAL ACFT BEING CLRED INTO THE SINGLE STREAM RTE ALREADY; THEREFORE; I HAD TO RECORD HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS ON SCRAP PAPER AND LATER ADJUST THE RTES TO RECORD THEM IN URET. THIS WAS NEVER COMPLETED DUE TO CVG OPENING UP AGAIN. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS SPLITTING THE SECTOR WHILE PUTTING SEVERAL ACFT INTO HOLD. THE SECTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPLIT WHEN WE WENT TO SINGLE STREAM; ANTICIPATING A HOLDING SITUATION.

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.