Narrative:

I was working R52 (tech) radar position; with no assistance for 1 hour 47 mins at the time of the incident. Traffic was initially slow but steady increased to 11 that I had track control of and approximately 16 in sector or just leaving. WX was a factor in the area of roa and psk as well as around rdu. Traffic complexity was high due to deviations and rertes for WX. I had just descended 2 rdu arrs south of roa to FL240 and handed off to low altitude sector. Also; had to make sure that they got under the R32 gve sector that was busy working deviations and clt inbounds. Also had 3 or 4 deviations northbound over psk as well as having to make sure ZTL was going to take my handoffs on swbound traffic; they were late in taking handoffs; I am assuming due to their workload with the WX they did take all of them; but at the last min; which was causing an increased workload for me. Air carrier at FL270; was accepted into my sector at psk. Air carrier Y; mdt at FL260; was on airway southeast of roa. I was non-stop talking and issuing clrncs. Air carrier X crossed the ZTL boundary and was in my airspace when I issued a descent to FL240. I had to get caught up with switching other aircraft and climb a couple; make the handoffs. On my scan; I noticed air carrier X at FL265 descending and air carrier Y at FL260 heads-on; just as the conflict alert activated. I immediately told the air carrier X to stop descent now and turn 30 degrees left; then descended air carrier Y to FL240. Both aircraft complied without hesitation. Once lateral separation was re-established; I cleared the air carrier X to sbv. I was relieved from position immediately and the investigation started. I had attempted to turn and get a supervisor to ask for help and inform that it was getting bad with WX; no supervisor was to be seen. Areas 1 and 2 have been combined into 1 basic area while the facility attempts to disband area 2. The supervisor at the time was in area 2 dealing with sector 36 rdu; which was saturated with WX and too much traffic. I did not see him over there. No one was available in area 1 to help; since all other sectors were also busy. These 2 areas have been working this way for a month or two. In my opinion; and that of many others including the supervisors; this is not a safe situation. They (supervisor) are unable to stay focused on the one area and are continually running from one to the other to put out fires. This is particularly true this night; with the WX in sector 36 and also in my sector as an adjacent sector in our area; and our high altitude sector. This was my first day back to work after 2 days off. I had been working the position for 1 hour 52 mins with about the last 30 mins complex. I had to use the restroom; but was waiting for a break which I figured would be coming within the next 15 mins. I was fatigued and tired from all the extra concentration that was needing to be done with the WX. The ATC controllers nationwide are fatigued and tired as well as stressed out from the lack of staffing and the hostile environment that has been created from the iwr since jul/05. If you don't continue taking traffic; you may get in trouble for not doing your job. If you take too much; then you get in trouble for not stopping the traffic. This is a very bad situation to be in; as I now am. We are having trouble concentrating 100% on the job as should be due to this environment. We work without help; as this is the case because we all need to get a break from the control room. This is a tragedy waiting to happen; and I am just so thankful that it didn't happen with these two.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL260 WITH HEAD ON TFC; CITING FATIGUE; STAFFING; WX FACTORS AND FAC PROCS AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING R52 (TECH) RADAR POS; WITH NO ASSISTANCE FOR 1 HR 47 MINS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. TFC WAS INITIALLY SLOW BUT STEADY INCREASED TO 11 THAT I HAD TRACK CTL OF AND APPROX 16 IN SECTOR OR JUST LEAVING. WX WAS A FACTOR IN THE AREA OF ROA AND PSK AS WELL AS AROUND RDU. TFC COMPLEXITY WAS HIGH DUE TO DEVS AND RERTES FOR WX. I HAD JUST DSNDED 2 RDU ARRS S OF ROA TO FL240 AND HANDED OFF TO LOW ALT SECTOR. ALSO; HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT UNDER THE R32 GVE SECTOR THAT WAS BUSY WORKING DEVS AND CLT INBOUNDS. ALSO HAD 3 OR 4 DEVS NBOUND OVER PSK AS WELL AS HAVING TO MAKE SURE ZTL WAS GOING TO TAKE MY HDOFS ON SWBOUND TFC; THEY WERE LATE IN TAKING HDOFS; I AM ASSUMING DUE TO THEIR WORKLOAD WITH THE WX THEY DID TAKE ALL OF THEM; BUT AT THE LAST MIN; WHICH WAS CAUSING AN INCREASED WORKLOAD FOR ME. ACR AT FL270; WAS ACCEPTED INTO MY SECTOR AT PSK. ACR Y; MDT AT FL260; WAS ON AIRWAY SE OF ROA. I WAS NON-STOP TALKING AND ISSUING CLRNCS. ACR X CROSSED THE ZTL BOUNDARY AND WAS IN MY AIRSPACE WHEN I ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL240. I HAD TO GET CAUGHT UP WITH SWITCHING OTHER ACFT AND CLB A COUPLE; MAKE THE HDOFS. ON MY SCAN; I NOTICED ACR X AT FL265 DSNDING AND ACR Y AT FL260 HEADS-ON; JUST AS THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE ACR X TO STOP DSCNT NOW AND TURN 30 DEGS L; THEN DSNDED ACR Y TO FL240. BOTH ACFT COMPLIED WITHOUT HESITATION. ONCE LATERAL SEPARATION WAS RE-ESTABLISHED; I CLRED THE ACR X TO SBV. I WAS RELIEVED FROM POS IMMEDIATELY AND THE INVESTIGATION STARTED. I HAD ATTEMPTED TO TURN AND GET A SUPVR TO ASK FOR HELP AND INFORM THAT IT WAS GETTING BAD WITH WX; NO SUPVR WAS TO BE SEEN. AREAS 1 AND 2 HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO 1 BASIC AREA WHILE THE FACILITY ATTEMPTS TO DISBAND AREA 2. THE SUPVR AT THE TIME WAS IN AREA 2 DEALING WITH SECTOR 36 RDU; WHICH WAS SATURATED WITH WX AND TOO MUCH TFC. I DID NOT SEE HIM OVER THERE. NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE IN AREA 1 TO HELP; SINCE ALL OTHER SECTORS WERE ALSO BUSY. THESE 2 AREAS HAVE BEEN WORKING THIS WAY FOR A MONTH OR TWO. IN MY OPINION; AND THAT OF MANY OTHERS INCLUDING THE SUPVRS; THIS IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION. THEY (SUPVR) ARE UNABLE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE ONE AREA AND ARE CONTINUALLY RUNNING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER TO PUT OUT FIRES. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE THIS NIGHT; WITH THE WX IN SECTOR 36 AND ALSO IN MY SECTOR AS AN ADJACENT SECTOR IN OUR AREA; AND OUR HIGH ALT SECTOR. THIS WAS MY FIRST DAY BACK TO WORK AFTER 2 DAYS OFF. I HAD BEEN WORKING THE POS FOR 1 HR 52 MINS WITH ABOUT THE LAST 30 MINS COMPLEX. I HAD TO USE THE RESTROOM; BUT WAS WAITING FOR A BREAK WHICH I FIGURED WOULD BE COMING WITHIN THE NEXT 15 MINS. I WAS FATIGUED AND TIRED FROM ALL THE EXTRA CONCENTRATION THAT WAS NEEDING TO BE DONE WITH THE WX. THE ATC CTLRS NATIONWIDE ARE FATIGUED AND TIRED AS WELL AS STRESSED OUT FROM THE LACK OF STAFFING AND THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS BEEN CREATED FROM THE IWR SINCE JUL/05. IF YOU DON'T CONTINUE TAKING TFC; YOU MAY GET IN TROUBLE FOR NOT DOING YOUR JOB. IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH; THEN YOU GET IN TROUBLE FOR NOT STOPPING THE TFC. THIS IS A VERY BAD SITUATION TO BE IN; AS I NOW AM. WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE CONCENTRATING 100% ON THE JOB AS SHOULD BE DUE TO THIS ENVIRONMENT. WE WORK WITHOUT HELP; AS THIS IS THE CASE BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO GET A BREAK FROM THE CTL ROOM. THIS IS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN; AND I AM JUST SO THANKFUL THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH THESE TWO.

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.