Narrative:

Working aus approach combined. There were 8 aircraft under my control--2 to satellite airports, 3 inbound to aus, 1 aus departure, 1 military departure off bergstrom and 1 released, 1 VFR overflt. Corp X was 12 mi east of aus eastbound leveling at 10000'. As I was taking handoff on air carrier Y 35 mi east of aus I coordinated for control of Y. At approximately the same time I received higher for X. I instructed X to climb to 17000'. Air carrier Y called and I descended him to 5000' and expedite through 9000' and gave traffic on corp Y. As I was issuing this traffic I saw X had not started to climb. I twice tried to contact X to give him a turn to 140 degrees and expedite his climb. As soon as I heard no response I turned air carrier Y right to 310 degrees and issued traffic on X at 11 O'clock, 7 mi at 10000'. Air carrier Y was descending through approximately 10800'. Thinking X may have switched to ZHU I tried to contact X through ZHU to issue a turn and traffic. Simultaneously Y had apparently missed the turn to 310 degrees. He asked, 'what was that heading?' I restated heading 310 degrees and Y acknowledged. Twice again I attempted to contact x--no reply. Air carrier Y appeared very slow in turning so I issued a heading of 360 degrees. I then tried to get Y to visually sight X by issuing traffic 10 O'clock, 3 mi. Y did not report the traffic, so I again attempted, through ZHU, to turn X. They stated they didn't have him. After Y had passed approximately 1 mi, X called level at 10000'. I asked if he had heard my previous xmissions, he gave a confused reply. I switched X to ZHU climbing to 17000'. Not having X to turn, climb, or issue traffic to was paramount to me--also air carrier Y seemed slow in responding to turns. In hindsight, if I had only been working radar east, where this situation took place, I may have noticed X did not reply to my initial climb and also noted X and Y closure rate.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN CORP JET AND ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: WORKING AUS APCH COMBINED. THERE WERE 8 ACFT UNDER MY CTL--2 TO SATELLITE ARPTS, 3 INBND TO AUS, 1 AUS DEP, 1 MIL DEP OFF BERGSTROM AND 1 RELEASED, 1 VFR OVERFLT. CORP X WAS 12 MI E OF AUS EBND LEVELING AT 10000'. AS I WAS TAKING HDOF ON ACR Y 35 MI E OF AUS I COORDINATED FOR CTL OF Y. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME I RECEIVED HIGHER FOR X. I INSTRUCTED X TO CLB TO 17000'. ACR Y CALLED AND I DSNDED HIM TO 5000' AND EXPEDITE THROUGH 9000' AND GAVE TFC ON CORP Y. AS I WAS ISSUING THIS TFC I SAW X HAD NOT STARTED TO CLB. I TWICE TRIED TO CONTACT X TO GIVE HIM A TURN TO 140 DEGS AND EXPEDITE HIS CLB. AS SOON AS I HEARD NO RESPONSE I TURNED ACR Y RIGHT TO 310 DEGS AND ISSUED TFC ON X AT 11 O'CLOCK, 7 MI AT 10000'. ACR Y WAS DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 10800'. THINKING X MAY HAVE SWITCHED TO ZHU I TRIED TO CONTACT X THROUGH ZHU TO ISSUE A TURN AND TFC. SIMULTANEOUSLY Y HAD APPARENTLY MISSED THE TURN TO 310 DEGS. HE ASKED, 'WHAT WAS THAT HDG?' I RESTATED HDG 310 DEGS AND Y ACKNOWLEDGED. TWICE AGAIN I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT X--NO REPLY. ACR Y APPEARED VERY SLOW IN TURNING SO I ISSUED A HDG OF 360 DEGS. I THEN TRIED TO GET Y TO VISUALLY SIGHT X BY ISSUING TFC 10 O'CLOCK, 3 MI. Y DID NOT RPT THE TFC, SO I AGAIN ATTEMPTED, THROUGH ZHU, TO TURN X. THEY STATED THEY DIDN'T HAVE HIM. AFTER Y HAD PASSED APPROX 1 MI, X CALLED LEVEL AT 10000'. I ASKED IF HE HAD HEARD MY PREVIOUS XMISSIONS, HE GAVE A CONFUSED REPLY. I SWITCHED X TO ZHU CLBING TO 17000'. NOT HAVING X TO TURN, CLB, OR ISSUE TFC TO WAS PARAMOUNT TO ME--ALSO ACR Y SEEMED SLOW IN RESPONDING TO TURNS. IN HINDSIGHT, IF I HAD ONLY BEEN WORKING RADAR E, WHERE THIS SITUATION TOOK PLACE, I MAY HAVE NOTICED X DID NOT REPLY TO MY INITIAL CLB AND ALSO NOTED X AND Y CLOSURE RATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.