Narrative:

I was working a sector FL290 to FL350 with severe thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were building rapidly from the northeast side. I was working numerous aircraft at FL350 most of them requesting FL370; but due to aircraft at FL370 I was unable to accommodate them. I descended a slower C550 (landing ZZZ2) from FL350 to FL310; and air carrier X (landing ZZZ3) from FL350 to FL330 to alleviate conflictions with 3 or 4 other aircraft at FL350 as they deviated around the WX. Air carrier X was on a pilot requested heading of 180 degrees to avoid the area of WX; and the C550 was deviating on his own direct to xxxxx intersection when able. Based on the flight path of the C550 I was anticipating that air carrier X would make a left turn towards VOR1 at any time. About 40 mi ssw of VOR2 air carrier X requested a 10-15 degree right turn for WX; simultaneously with his request the conflict alert activated with an air carrier Y aircraft in another center's sector. My d-side was on the land line with the other center controller to determine what the best course of action was to resolve the conflict between the air carrier Y aircraft and air carrier X. Within seconds air carrier X declared an emergency. I turned air carrier X 20 degrees to the right to avoid a midair collision with air carrier Y; air carrier X took the turn. After assessing the situation again I determined that 20 degrees was inadequate; and I turned him another 15 degrees to the right. Air carrier X responded by saying that he was an emergency and he would tell me what to do. As air carrier X was refusing to turn to the right I noticed that the other center had turned air carrier Y almost due south. Realizing that the 2 aircraft were no longer in jeopardy of colliding I issued the traffic again; switched him to the other center. It was reported to me by the supervisor that as soon as air carrier X called the other center he said that he was no longer an emergency; and that he only declared one because he was receiving poor service from my center. Complicating the situation was the fact that all of this occurred on the boundary between these two centers; and the severe thunderstorms; so coordination took longer than normal.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZZZ CENTER CTLR DESCRIBED AN EVENT AT FL330 WITH TFC IN ADJOINING FAC; WHEN PLT DECLARED EMER; FLEW TOWARD BOUNDARY RESULTING IN CONFLICT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A SECTOR FL290 TO FL350 WITH SEVERE TSTMS. THE TSTMS WERE BUILDING RAPIDLY FROM THE NE SIDE. I WAS WORKING NUMEROUS ACFT AT FL350 MOST OF THEM REQUESTING FL370; BUT DUE TO ACFT AT FL370 I WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. I DSNDED A SLOWER C550 (LNDG ZZZ2) FROM FL350 TO FL310; AND ACR X (LNDG ZZZ3) FROM FL350 TO FL330 TO ALLEVIATE CONFLICTIONS WITH 3 OR 4 OTHER ACFT AT FL350 AS THEY DEVIATED AROUND THE WX. ACR X WAS ON A PLT REQUESTED HDG OF 180 DEGS TO AVOID THE AREA OF WX; AND THE C550 WAS DEVIATING ON HIS OWN DIRECT TO XXXXX INTXN WHEN ABLE. BASED ON THE FLT PATH OF THE C550 I WAS ANTICIPATING THAT ACR X WOULD MAKE A L TURN TOWARDS VOR1 AT ANY TIME. ABOUT 40 MI SSW OF VOR2 ACR X REQUESTED A 10-15 DEG R TURN FOR WX; SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH HIS REQUEST THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED WITH AN ACR Y ACFT IN ANOTHER CENTER'S SECTOR. MY D-SIDE WAS ON THE LAND LINE WITH THE OTHER CENTER CTLR TO DETERMINE WHAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT BTWN THE ACR Y ACFT AND ACR X. WITHIN SECONDS ACR X DECLARED AN EMER. I TURNED ACR X 20 DEGS TO THE R TO AVOID A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH ACR Y; ACR X TOOK THE TURN. AFTER ASSESSING THE SITUATION AGAIN I DETERMINED THAT 20 DEGS WAS INADEQUATE; AND I TURNED HIM ANOTHER 15 DEGS TO THE R. ACR X RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT HE WAS AN EMER AND HE WOULD TELL ME WHAT TO DO. AS ACR X WAS REFUSING TO TURN TO THE R I NOTICED THAT THE OTHER CENTER HAD TURNED ACR Y ALMOST DUE S. REALIZING THAT THE 2 ACFT WERE NO LONGER IN JEOPARDY OF COLLIDING I ISSUED THE TFC AGAIN; SWITCHED HIM TO THE OTHER CENTER. IT WAS RPTED TO ME BY THE SUPVR THAT AS SOON AS ACR X CALLED THE OTHER CENTER HE SAID THAT HE WAS NO LONGER AN EMER; AND THAT HE ONLY DECLARED ONE BECAUSE HE WAS RECEIVING POOR SVC FROM MY CENTER. COMPLICATING THE SITUATION WAS THE FACT THAT ALL OF THIS OCCURRED ON THE BOUNDARY BTWN THESE TWO CENTERS; AND THE SEVERE TSTMS; SO COORD TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.