Narrative:

The situation occurred due to sequencing to clt airport. The sector had been extremely busy with very complex traffic situations. Contributing factors: tmu! I was the d-side trying to help the radar controller. The sector had been busy and I had been moving data blocks and coordination. The supervisor came to tell me that clt needed to be 25 mi in-trail. There was nothing posted for clt arrs. The low sectors tried to call and sequence an aircraft at lower altitude which we have never done before. But this was a requirement of tmu. I told our supervisor that we never sequenced low altitude aircraft and he said tmu said sequence them. I called the atl controller and he said they just need speed and no in-trail (as in miles). I told the supervisor and he called tmu. Tmu said sequence them all; so my radar had already turned the aircraft to get him in-trail and did not notice the aircraft picked up a lot of speed. I did not hear him turn the aircraft and to what heading he issued because I was being bothered by the supervisor and tmu. I think if I would have been paying attention to every detail at the sector and not being bothered by the supervisor and tmu maybe this error would not have happened; I really feel the unnecessary information from tmu which was not needed played a big factor in this operational error.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID CTLR HAS OPERROR BTWN MD88 AND RJ WHEN SEQUENCING FOR IN TRAIL SPACING. CTLR BELIEVES TMU ACTIONS CONTRIBUTED.

Narrative: THE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO SEQUENCING TO CLT ARPT. THE SECTOR HAD BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY WITH VERY COMPLEX TFC SITUATIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TMU! I WAS THE D-SIDE TRYING TO HELP THE RADAR CTLR. THE SECTOR HAD BEEN BUSY AND I HAD BEEN MOVING DATA BLOCKS AND COORD. THE SUPVR CAME TO TELL ME THAT CLT NEEDED TO BE 25 MI IN-TRAIL. THERE WAS NOTHING POSTED FOR CLT ARRS. THE LOW SECTORS TRIED TO CALL AND SEQUENCE AN ACFT AT LOWER ALT WHICH WE HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. BUT THIS WAS A REQUIREMENT OF TMU. I TOLD OUR SUPVR THAT WE NEVER SEQUENCED LOW ALT ACFT AND HE SAID TMU SAID SEQUENCE THEM. I CALLED THE ATL CTLR AND HE SAID THEY JUST NEED SPD AND NO IN-TRAIL (AS IN MILES). I TOLD THE SUPVR AND HE CALLED TMU. TMU SAID SEQUENCE THEM ALL; SO MY RADAR HAD ALREADY TURNED THE ACFT TO GET HIM IN-TRAIL AND DID NOT NOTICE THE ACFT PICKED UP A LOT OF SPD. I DID NOT HEAR HIM TURN THE ACFT AND TO WHAT HDG HE ISSUED BECAUSE I WAS BEING BOTHERED BY THE SUPVR AND TMU. I THINK IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTN TO EVERY DETAIL AT THE SECTOR AND NOT BEING BOTHERED BY THE SUPVR AND TMU MAYBE THIS ERROR WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED; I REALLY FEEL THE UNNECESSARY INFO FROM TMU WHICH WAS NOT NEEDED PLAYED A BIG FACTOR IN THIS OPERROR.

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.