Narrative:

I was working all of the south area low altitude airspace by myself when I was ordered by my supervisor to combine and work the entire areas high altitude airspace as well. I told him that it would be unsafe to do so and informed him that I was invoking article 65 of my union contract -- making him responsible for his decision. I told him I needed a d-side to help me and he told me he didn't have one available. WX was blocking arrs to midway from the southwest gate; so those aircraft were being rted across my O'hare and satellite departure corridor. The midway arrival traffic and the O'hare and satellite departure traffic were all deviating around the same WX at the same time. Although there was not an overpowering amount of traffic; it was made more complex by the deviations; inbound and outbound aircraft deviating around and through the same WX system; working on a 100 mi scale (necessary because I was in charge of so much airspace); and not having a d-side to field interphone calls so I could concentrate on the radar. At one point; I xferred control of a climbing aircraft; air carrier X; to ZKC; not knowing that there was conflicting traffic; air carrier Y; at my boundary. Air carrier Y was flashing handoff to the wrong sector since it was started in handoff mode before the high altitude airspace was combined. I noticed the limited data block and called ZKC to stop air carrier X's climb to avoid what would have been an operational error. At another point; I handed off and xferred communications of an aircraft to sector 91 when I should have handed it to sector 52. I did not notice the mistake. Luckily; the sector 91 controller corrected it before an operational deviation occurred. This entire situation had the potential to end badly. This requiring controllers to work unsafe traffic levels by themselves or without enough help is occurring more frequently and is going to sooner or later result in more tragedy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR DESCRIBED SITUATION WHEN DIRECTED TO COMBINE POS DURING WX DEVS RESULTING IN NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ALL OF THE S AREA LOW ALT AIRSPACE BY MYSELF WHEN I WAS ORDERED BY MY SUPVR TO COMBINE AND WORK THE ENTIRE AREAS HIGH ALT AIRSPACE AS WELL. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WOULD BE UNSAFE TO DO SO AND INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS INVOKING ARTICLE 65 OF MY UNION CONTRACT -- MAKING HIM RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DECISION. I TOLD HIM I NEEDED A D-SIDE TO HELP ME AND HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE ONE AVAILABLE. WX WAS BLOCKING ARRS TO MIDWAY FROM THE SW GATE; SO THOSE ACFT WERE BEING RTED ACROSS MY O'HARE AND SATELLITE DEP CORRIDOR. THE MIDWAY ARR TFC AND THE O'HARE AND SATELLITE DEP TFC WERE ALL DEVIATING AROUND THE SAME WX AT THE SAME TIME. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT AN OVERPOWERING AMOUNT OF TFC; IT WAS MADE MORE COMPLEX BY THE DEVS; INBOUND AND OUTBOUND ACFT DEVIATING AROUND AND THROUGH THE SAME WX SYS; WORKING ON A 100 MI SCALE (NECESSARY BECAUSE I WAS IN CHARGE OF SO MUCH AIRSPACE); AND NOT HAVING A D-SIDE TO FIELD INTERPHONE CALLS SO I COULD CONCENTRATE ON THE RADAR. AT ONE POINT; I XFERRED CTL OF A CLBING ACFT; ACR X; TO ZKC; NOT KNOWING THAT THERE WAS CONFLICTING TFC; ACR Y; AT MY BOUNDARY. ACR Y WAS FLASHING HDOF TO THE WRONG SECTOR SINCE IT WAS STARTED IN HDOF MODE BEFORE THE HIGH ALT AIRSPACE WAS COMBINED. I NOTICED THE LIMITED DATA BLOCK AND CALLED ZKC TO STOP ACR X'S CLB TO AVOID WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN OPERROR. AT ANOTHER POINT; I HANDED OFF AND XFERRED COMS OF AN ACFT TO SECTOR 91 WHEN I SHOULD HAVE HANDED IT TO SECTOR 52. I DID NOT NOTICE THE MISTAKE. LUCKILY; THE SECTOR 91 CTLR CORRECTED IT BEFORE AN OPDEV OCCURRED. THIS ENTIRE SITUATION HAD THE POTENTIAL TO END BADLY. THIS REQUIRING CTLRS TO WORK UNSAFE TFC LEVELS BY THEMSELVES OR WITHOUT ENOUGH HELP IS OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS GOING TO SOONER OR LATER RESULT IN MORE TRAGEDY.

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.