Narrative:

We were holding aircraft for den; apa; and bjc airports due to WX. WX was also a factor in the sector. 1 aircraft was turned away to hold elsewhere because of WX and traffic. The sector below could not take aircraft Y (B737) down because they were saturated with WX and holding aircraft. Aircraft Y was holding at FL380 at pragg. FL380 was the bottom of my airspace. I was working sector 46 radar. I asked for help on the sector as the workload was increasing and computer entries for holding needed to be made. A controller sat down on the d-side. I didn't have time for a briefing yet. A supervisor was next to me when I said that I couldn't accept any more planes at FL380 in the north part of the sector and that they needed to go down south over laa due to WX and aircraft Y holding at pragg intersection on the dandd 5 arrival to den. 2 more aircraft were coming at FL380 where I didn't want them. I climbed the first aircraft to FL390 with no problem. I cleared the second aircraft (aircraft X) to FL390 and he said he was unable. I then cleared aircraft X right to a heading of 260 degrees and to expect on course in less than 2 mins. Aircraft X refused the turn because he would be heading toward WX. The WX was 40 mi to the west. Aircraft Y was already starting to make the holding turn towards aircraft X. I couldn't descend either aircraft at that point. I told aircraft X that he was in confliction with an aircraft holding at pragg at his altitude and cleared him again to a 260 degree heading and if unable then squawk 7700. Moments later aircraft Y was squawking 7700. Never before in my 17 yrs controling have I had an aircraft flatly refuse a clearance and me not have any other options. I advised aircraft Z of the traffic (aircraft X) at his altitude who refused to turn to miss him. I told aircraft Y to expedite the turn. Then I called aircraft X and advised him of the traffic again. Meanwhile the controller in charge was able to coordination lower with headings for aircraft Y. Lateral separation was lost before vertical could be attained. Fighters based at bkf started to scramble after (norad) seeing an air carrier at altitude squawk 7700.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BUSY ARTCC CTLR AT ZDV INSTRUCTS AN A319 FLT CREW TO SQUAWK 7700 WHEN THE ACFT REFUSES TO TURN BECAUSE OF WX. LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED SHORTLY THEREAFTER WITH A B737 AT THE SAME ALT IN A HOLDING PATTERN.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING ACFT FOR DEN; APA; AND BJC ARPTS DUE TO WX. WX WAS ALSO A FACTOR IN THE SECTOR. 1 ACFT WAS TURNED AWAY TO HOLD ELSEWHERE BECAUSE OF WX AND TFC. THE SECTOR BELOW COULD NOT TAKE ACFT Y (B737) DOWN BECAUSE THEY WERE SATURATED WITH WX AND HOLDING ACFT. ACFT Y WAS HOLDING AT FL380 AT PRAGG. FL380 WAS THE BOTTOM OF MY AIRSPACE. I WAS WORKING SECTOR 46 RADAR. I ASKED FOR HELP ON THE SECTOR AS THE WORKLOAD WAS INCREASING AND COMPUTER ENTRIES FOR HOLDING NEEDED TO BE MADE. A CTLR SAT DOWN ON THE D-SIDE. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR A BRIEFING YET. A SUPVR WAS NEXT TO ME WHEN I SAID THAT I COULDN'T ACCEPT ANY MORE PLANES AT FL380 IN THE N PART OF THE SECTOR AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO GO DOWN S OVER LAA DUE TO WX AND ACFT Y HOLDING AT PRAGG INTXN ON THE DANDD 5 ARR TO DEN. 2 MORE ACFT WERE COMING AT FL380 WHERE I DIDN'T WANT THEM. I CLBED THE FIRST ACFT TO FL390 WITH NO PROB. I CLRED THE SECOND ACFT (ACFT X) TO FL390 AND HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE. I THEN CLRED ACFT X R TO A HDG OF 260 DEGS AND TO EXPECT ON COURSE IN LESS THAN 2 MINS. ACFT X REFUSED THE TURN BECAUSE HE WOULD BE HEADING TOWARD WX. THE WX WAS 40 MI TO THE W. ACFT Y WAS ALREADY STARTING TO MAKE THE HOLDING TURN TOWARDS ACFT X. I COULDN'T DSND EITHER ACFT AT THAT POINT. I TOLD ACFT X THAT HE WAS IN CONFLICTION WITH AN ACFT HOLDING AT PRAGG AT HIS ALT AND CLRED HIM AGAIN TO A 260 DEG HDG AND IF UNABLE THEN SQUAWK 7700. MOMENTS LATER ACFT Y WAS SQUAWKING 7700. NEVER BEFORE IN MY 17 YRS CTLING HAVE I HAD AN ACFT FLATLY REFUSE A CLRNC AND ME NOT HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS. I ADVISED ACFT Z OF THE TFC (ACFT X) AT HIS ALT WHO REFUSED TO TURN TO MISS HIM. I TOLD ACFT Y TO EXPEDITE THE TURN. THEN I CALLED ACFT X AND ADVISED HIM OF THE TFC AGAIN. MEANWHILE THE CIC WAS ABLE TO COORD LOWER WITH HDGS FOR ACFT Y. LATERAL SEPARATION WAS LOST BEFORE VERT COULD BE ATTAINED. FIGHTERS BASED AT BKF STARTED TO SCRAMBLE AFTER (NORAD) SEEING AN ACR AT ALT SQUAWK 7700.

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.