Narrative:

E145; attempted to contact at XA36 local with no response. Advised previous controller to attempt contact with embraer with no success. Made several more attempts to contact erj with no success. Issued erj crossing restr and received a reply from another company aircraft on frequency giving me the impression erj was on frequency. Y was handed off from another sector at FL340. When aircraft were approximately 23 mi apart conflict alert activated between erj and Y. Attempted to start erj down to FL330 then issued crossing restr with no reply. Radar associate controller coordinated with previous sector to turn Y 40 degrees right and descend to FL330; that controller advised they were not in contact with Y. Associate controller then went back another sector to ZHU to issue the same control instruction to Y. Radar associate was advised that ZHU was not in contact with Y. Meanwhile I made a broadcast in the blind to Y to turn 90 degrees right and descend to FL320 with no response. Then broadcast in the blind to erj to turn 60 degrees right with no response; radar associate was coordination with previous 2 sectors in an attempt to contact erj without result. Supervisor made 3 phone calls to company operations but nobody answered the phone. Y showed up on my frequency when the aircraft were 3.6 mi apart; I immediately issued Y a 40 degree right turn and descended him immediately to FL320; separation was reestablished. One of the contributing factors in this error was the lack of 121.5 the emergency frequency in our center. The only way we have to communicate with aircraft in an emergency situation is through their company or another aircraft. There should be at least one centrally located sector in every center with the ability to transmit on 121.5. In light of today's security concerns every NORDO aircraft is suspicious; not to mention the dangerous traffic situations that could be immediately rectified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL340 WHEN UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH CONFLICTING TFC AND ISSUE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

Narrative: E145; ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT AT XA36 LCL WITH NO RESPONSE. ADVISED PREVIOUS CTLR TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH EMBRAER WITH NO SUCCESS. MADE SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ERJ WITH NO SUCCESS. ISSUED ERJ XING RESTR AND RECEIVED A REPLY FROM ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT ON FREQ GIVING ME THE IMPRESSION ERJ WAS ON FREQ. Y WAS HANDED OFF FROM ANOTHER SECTOR AT FL340. WHEN ACFT WERE APPROX 23 MI APART CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED BTWN ERJ AND Y. ATTEMPTED TO START ERJ DOWN TO FL330 THEN ISSUED XING RESTR WITH NO REPLY. RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR COORDINATED WITH PREVIOUS SECTOR TO TURN Y 40 DEGS R AND DSND TO FL330; THAT CTLR ADVISED THEY WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH Y. ASSOCIATE CTLR THEN WENT BACK ANOTHER SECTOR TO ZHU TO ISSUE THE SAME CTL INSTRUCTION TO Y. RADAR ASSOCIATE WAS ADVISED THAT ZHU WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH Y. MEANWHILE I MADE A BROADCAST IN THE BLIND TO Y TO TURN 90 DEGS R AND DSND TO FL320 WITH NO RESPONSE. THEN BROADCAST IN THE BLIND TO ERJ TO TURN 60 DEGS R WITH NO RESPONSE; RADAR ASSOCIATE WAS COORD WITH PREVIOUS 2 SECTORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ERJ WITHOUT RESULT. SUPVR MADE 3 PHONE CALLS TO COMPANY OPS BUT NOBODY ANSWERED THE PHONE. Y SHOWED UP ON MY FREQ WHEN THE ACFT WERE 3.6 MI APART; I IMMEDIATELY ISSUED Y A 40 DEG R TURN AND DSNDED HIM IMMEDIATELY TO FL320; SEPARATION WAS REESTABLISHED. ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS ERROR WAS THE LACK OF 121.5 THE EMER FREQ IN OUR CTR. THE ONLY WAY WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT IN AN EMER SITUATION IS THROUGH THEIR COMPANY OR ANOTHER ACFT. THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST ONE CENTRALLY LOCATED SECTOR IN EVERY CTR WITH THE ABILITY TO XMIT ON 121.5. IN LIGHT OF TODAY'S SECURITY CONCERNS EVERY NORDO ACFT IS SUSPICIOUS; NOT TO MENTION THE DANGEROUS TFC SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE IMMEDIATELY RECTIFIED.

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.