Narrative:

I was working maf-lo; abi-lo right and D combined. There were scattered cells of precipitation on the eastern side of maf-lo and generally clear in abi-lo. Aircraft X called on frequency having departed ZZZ requesting IFR clearance to aus. Aircraft X had a proposed IFR flight plan in uret from ZZZ direct aus requesting 9000 ft. I departed the flight plan and assigned aircraft X a discrete code. Aircraft Y then called on frequency stating he had just departed ZZZ; was immediately behind aircraft X; requested to follow him direct aus; and was climbing to 5000 ft. Aircraft Y had a proposed flight plan in uret from ZZZ direct llo direct aus requesting 7000 ft. I departed the flight plan and assigned aircraft Y a discrete code. I started tracks on each flight. Neither aircraft were in radar contact. The normal altitude for radar contact in that area is about 5000 ft. I issued aircraft X a clearance direct aus climbing to 9000 ft. Aircraft X read back the clearance correctly and reported leaving 4600 ft. I then instructed aircraft X to report leaving 5000 ft. My intention was to use altitude leaving in order to assign aircraft Y an IFR clearance direct aus at 5000 ft. Aircraft X responded that he was leaving 5000 ft at this time. I then issued aircraft Y direct aus and climb and maintain 5000 ft. Aircraft Y acknowledged the clearance and stated they were out of 5200 ft and going back down to 5000 ft. About that time the data blocks began to acquire and conflict alert activated. In a few seconds; I observed aircraft X leaving 6000 ft and aircraft Y at 5000 ft. ZFW management and quality assurance concluded that the operational error occurred because I failed to obtain a reported altitude from aircraft Y prior to issuing him an IFR clearance while the aircraft was below radar coverage and that no severity error had occurred per 7210.682.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 5000 FT WHEN ASSIGNING IFR STATUS TO AN IN TRAIL ACFT BEFORE VERIFYING ALT STATUS OF THE SECOND ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING MAF-LO; ABI-LO R AND D COMBINED. THERE WERE SCATTERED CELLS OF PRECIP ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF MAF-LO AND GENERALLY CLR IN ABI-LO. ACFT X CALLED ON FREQ HAVING DEPARTED ZZZ REQUESTING IFR CLRNC TO AUS. ACFT X HAD A PROPOSED IFR FLT PLAN IN URET FROM ZZZ DIRECT AUS REQUESTING 9000 FT. I DEPARTED THE FLT PLAN AND ASSIGNED ACFT X A DISCRETE CODE. ACFT Y THEN CALLED ON FREQ STATING HE HAD JUST DEPARTED ZZZ; WAS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ACFT X; REQUESTED TO FOLLOW HIM DIRECT AUS; AND WAS CLBING TO 5000 FT. ACFT Y HAD A PROPOSED FLT PLAN IN URET FROM ZZZ DIRECT LLO DIRECT AUS REQUESTING 7000 FT. I DEPARTED THE FLT PLAN AND ASSIGNED ACFT Y A DISCRETE CODE. I STARTED TRACKS ON EACH FLT. NEITHER ACFT WERE IN RADAR CONTACT. THE NORMAL ALT FOR RADAR CONTACT IN THAT AREA IS ABOUT 5000 FT. I ISSUED ACFT X A CLRNC DIRECT AUS CLBING TO 9000 FT. ACFT X READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY AND RPTED LEAVING 4600 FT. I THEN INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO RPT LEAVING 5000 FT. MY INTENTION WAS TO USE ALT LEAVING IN ORDER TO ASSIGN ACFT Y AN IFR CLRNC DIRECT AUS AT 5000 FT. ACFT X RESPONDED THAT HE WAS LEAVING 5000 FT AT THIS TIME. I THEN ISSUED ACFT Y DIRECT AUS AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. ACFT Y ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND STATED THEY WERE OUT OF 5200 FT AND GOING BACK DOWN TO 5000 FT. ABOUT THAT TIME THE DATA BLOCKS BEGAN TO ACQUIRE AND CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED. IN A FEW SECONDS; I OBSERVED ACFT X LEAVING 6000 FT AND ACFT Y AT 5000 FT. ZFW MGMNT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE CONCLUDED THAT THE OPERROR OCCURRED BECAUSE I FAILED TO OBTAIN A RPTED ALT FROM ACFT Y PRIOR TO ISSUING HIM AN IFR CLRNC WHILE THE ACFT WAS BELOW RADAR COVERAGE AND THAT NO SEVERITY ERROR HAD OCCURRED PER 7210.682.

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.