Narrative:

I was working the radar position of sector X combined with sector Y at ZAB. I had been on position for 2 hours. For the first hour or so the traffic was very light. About an hour and a half into the session; a d-side came to assist. At that time; traffic was also kind of light. He was told to assist me because it was going to get busy. I felt if it was going to get busy; the supervisor should split the 2 sectors. Instead; he kept the sectors combined. At the time of the incident I was working about 17-20 aircraft. I had a string of inbound aircraft; about 12-14; to phx (sector Y) and a military flight over-flying wbound on V190 in the block 220b230 (sector X). I had about 4 aircraft depart phx climbing eastbound on V190. Phoenix departure issues FL210 to their departures. The first 2 checked on and I restated FL210. When the third checked on I was in the middle of trying to get spacing on the arrs and instead of restating FL210; I said FL310. A few mins later; I notice aircraft X climbing out of FL213. I thought it might be a mode-C swap; but I immediately transmitted for the air carrier X to verify level at FL210. I transmitted 3 times before I received a response from the pilot that he was maneuvering in response to an RA. Shortly after that; the pilot of the military flight stated that aircraft Y had to make an evasive maneuver. At ZAB we are very short staffed. On a regular basis; we get over 2 hours on position. About 20 mins before this incident; a couple of controllers returned from break and instead of making them get controllers off position after 2 hours; they were told to do something else. If the supervisor knew it was going to get busy; he should have split the sectors instead of using a d-side. This would have also meant less frequency congestion. Supplemental information from acn 766088: as pm I was operating the radio. We were level at FL210 and was handed off to a new frequency; which cleared us to FL310. I read back FL310 and we began to climb. At 21800 ft in the climb we got a TCAS traffic alert; with no other guidance. We were both looking for traffic but it was not hard to find. At our 12 O'clock position and less than 2 mi away was a flight of 4 military aircraft at FL220. TCAS offered no guidance but it was obvious that evasive action was required. First officer smoothly but forcefully took the evasive action necessary to avoid a collision. ATC supervisor confirmed via telephone upon arrival that our clearance had been to FL310 and apologized for any inconvenience we suffered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAB CTLR ISSUED WRONG ALT TO PHX ACR DEP AND EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL210 BETWEEN ACR AND MIL FLT AT BLOCK ALTS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS OF SECTOR X COMBINED WITH SECTOR Y AT ZAB. I HAD BEEN ON POS FOR 2 HRS. FOR THE FIRST HR OR SO THE TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. ABOUT AN HR AND A HALF INTO THE SESSION; A D-SIDE CAME TO ASSIST. AT THAT TIME; TFC WAS ALSO KIND OF LIGHT. HE WAS TOLD TO ASSIST ME BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO GET BUSY. I FELT IF IT WAS GOING TO GET BUSY; THE SUPVR SHOULD SPLIT THE 2 SECTORS. INSTEAD; HE KEPT THE SECTORS COMBINED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS WORKING ABOUT 17-20 ACFT. I HAD A STRING OF INBOUND ACFT; ABOUT 12-14; TO PHX (SECTOR Y) AND A MIL FLT OVER-FLYING WBOUND ON V190 IN THE BLOCK 220B230 (SECTOR X). I HAD ABOUT 4 ACFT DEPART PHX CLBING EBOUND ON V190. PHOENIX DEP ISSUES FL210 TO THEIR DEPS. THE FIRST 2 CHKED ON AND I RESTATED FL210. WHEN THE THIRD CHKED ON I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO GET SPACING ON THE ARRS AND INSTEAD OF RESTATING FL210; I SAID FL310. A FEW MINS LATER; I NOTICE ACFT X CLBING OUT OF FL213. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A MODE-C SWAP; BUT I IMMEDIATELY XMITTED FOR THE ACR X TO VERIFY LEVEL AT FL210. I XMITTED 3 TIMES BEFORE I RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THE PLT THAT HE WAS MANEUVERING IN RESPONSE TO AN RA. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; THE PLT OF THE MIL FLT STATED THAT ACFT Y HAD TO MAKE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. AT ZAB WE ARE VERY SHORT STAFFED. ON A REGULAR BASIS; WE GET OVER 2 HRS ON POS. ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT; A COUPLE OF CTLRS RETURNED FROM BREAK AND INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM GET CTLRS OFF POS AFTER 2 HRS; THEY WERE TOLD TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. IF THE SUPVR KNEW IT WAS GOING TO GET BUSY; HE SHOULD HAVE SPLIT THE SECTORS INSTEAD OF USING A D-SIDE. THIS WOULD HAVE ALSO MEANT LESS FREQ CONGESTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 766088: AS PM I WAS OPERATING THE RADIO. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL210 AND WAS HANDED OFF TO A NEW FREQ; WHICH CLRED US TO FL310. I READ BACK FL310 AND WE BEGAN TO CLB. AT 21800 FT IN THE CLB WE GOT A TCAS TFC ALERT; WITH NO OTHER GUIDANCE. WE WERE BOTH LOOKING FOR TFC BUT IT WAS NOT HARD TO FIND. AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 2 MI AWAY WAS A FLT OF 4 MIL ACFT AT FL220. TCAS OFFERED NO GUIDANCE BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. FO SMOOTHLY BUT FORCEFULLY TOOK THE EVASIVE ACTION NECESSARY TO AVOID A COLLISION. ATC SUPVR CONFIRMED VIA TELEPHONE UPON ARR THAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN TO FL310 AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE WE SUFFERED.

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.