Narrative:

Sbn approach had been combined ar/dr positions (north and south radar) for training purposes. Traffic built well beyond the capability of the developmental controller, so the radar positions were split. I took the north side position. Even after the split traffic vol was moderate to heavy, with several situations that needed immediate attention. There were scattered areas of showers that aircraft were deviating around. I had 2 air carrier light transport (X and Z) aircraft en route to ord deviating around one of these areas. The first one, light transport Z, was on the west side past the WX, going nnw. The ord east departure controller called with a pointout of an air carrier light transport Y climbing out of ord eastbound to 9000' MSL. We exchanged traffic (my first light transport Z and his light transport Y) and the ord controller said he would go sebnd. At this time my second air carrier light transport X was coming around the south side of the WX. I gave him a vector nwbnd. He was level at 800' MSL. Ord's air carrier light transport Y was now at 7000' MSL about 10 NM nnw of the air carrier light transport Z. Ord called again to find out if I had any additional traffic. I said I had another air carrier light transport X, but that I was northbound and would descend to 7000'. I then turned air carrier light transport X to a 340 degree heading and told him to descend to 7000' MSL. I then started to handle a situation on the other side of my airspace concerning a departure that needed to climb through the altitude of an overflying aircraft. This departure also did not automatic-acquire his data tag on the radar, which would then not activate his flight plan. This situation also was occurring near a corner boundary with 2 different facs that coordination was necessary. While doing this coordination the air carrier light transport Y aircraft had been turned east and switched to ZAU. The ZAU controller (cribb sector) started calling, but due to the second situation and other traffic I was unable to answer his call. He had apparently allowed air carrier light transport Y to level at 7000' MSL west/O prior coordination. There was turbulence at altitudes above 9000' MSL. This was why air carrier light transport Y decided to request the lower altitude. I was already working 2 other aircraft that had descended due to turbulence. When I realized that the air carrier light transport Y was not climbing and was going to conflict with my air carrier light transport X, I asked air carrier light transport X to turn right as far eastbound as he could. He said he would not be able to turn east due to the WX. I then instructed him to turn left (southbound) for traffic. As he went through the turn I issued the air carrier light transport Y traffic and he reported him in sight. I then advised him to maintain visibility sep. This situation arose because the center controller leveled the air carrier light transport Y at an altitude in my airspace west/O my approval. He was relying on my being able to answer his call quickly. We are able to do that 90% of the time. This perhaps sets up a false sense of security.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEVIATING FOR WX AND POOR INTERFAC COORD CREATE A LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION SITUATION.

Narrative: SBN APCH HAD BEEN COMBINED AR/DR POSITIONS (N AND S RADAR) FOR TRNING PURPOSES. TFC BUILT WELL BEYOND THE CAPABILITY OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR, SO THE RADAR POSITIONS WERE SPLIT. I TOOK THE N SIDE POS. EVEN AFTER THE SPLIT TFC VOL WAS MODERATE TO HEAVY, WITH SEVERAL SITUATIONS THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTN. THERE WERE SCATTERED AREAS OF SHOWERS THAT ACFT WERE DEVIATING AROUND. I HAD 2 ACR LTT (X AND Z) ACFT ENRTE TO ORD DEVIATING AROUND ONE OF THESE AREAS. THE FIRST ONE, LTT Z, WAS ON THE W SIDE PAST THE WX, GOING NNW. THE ORD E DEP CTLR CALLED WITH A POINTOUT OF AN ACR LTT Y CLBING OUT OF ORD EBND TO 9000' MSL. WE EXCHANGED TFC (MY FIRST LTT Z AND HIS LTT Y) AND THE ORD CTLR SAID HE WOULD GO SEBND. AT THIS TIME MY SECOND ACR LTT X WAS COMING AROUND THE S SIDE OF THE WX. I GAVE HIM A VECTOR NWBND. HE WAS LEVEL AT 800' MSL. ORD'S ACR LTT Y WAS NOW AT 7000' MSL ABOUT 10 NM NNW OF THE ACR LTT Z. ORD CALLED AGAIN TO FIND OUT IF I HAD ANY ADDITIONAL TFC. I SAID I HAD ANOTHER ACR LTT X, BUT THAT I WAS NBND AND WOULD DSND TO 7000'. I THEN TURNED ACR LTT X TO A 340 DEG HDG AND TOLD HIM TO DSND TO 7000' MSL. I THEN STARTED TO HANDLE A SITUATION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY AIRSPACE CONCERNING A DEP THAT NEEDED TO CLB THROUGH THE ALT OF AN OVERFLYING ACFT. THIS DEP ALSO DID NOT AUTO-ACQUIRE HIS DATA TAG ON THE RADAR, WHICH WOULD THEN NOT ACTIVATE HIS FLT PLAN. THIS SITUATION ALSO WAS OCCURRING NEAR A CORNER BOUNDARY WITH 2 DIFFERENT FACS THAT COORD WAS NECESSARY. WHILE DOING THIS COORD THE ACR LTT Y ACFT HAD BEEN TURNED E AND SWITCHED TO ZAU. THE ZAU CTLR (CRIBB SECTOR) STARTED CALLING, BUT DUE TO THE SECOND SITUATION AND OTHER TFC I WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER HIS CALL. HE HAD APPARENTLY ALLOWED ACR LTT Y TO LEVEL AT 7000' MSL W/O PRIOR COORD. THERE WAS TURB AT ALTS ABOVE 9000' MSL. THIS WAS WHY ACR LTT Y DECIDED TO REQUEST THE LOWER ALT. I WAS ALREADY WORKING 2 OTHER ACFT THAT HAD DSNDED DUE TO TURB. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE ACR LTT Y WAS NOT CLBING AND WAS GOING TO CONFLICT WITH MY ACR LTT X, I ASKED ACR LTT X TO TURN RIGHT AS FAR EBND AS HE COULD. HE SAID HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN E DUE TO THE WX. I THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO TURN LEFT (SBND) FOR TFC. AS HE WENT THROUGH THE TURN I ISSUED THE ACR LTT Y TFC AND HE RPTED HIM IN SIGHT. I THEN ADVISED HIM TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP. THIS SITUATION AROSE BECAUSE THE CENTER CTLR LEVELED THE ACR LTT Y AT AN ALT IN MY AIRSPACE W/O MY APPROVAL. HE WAS RELYING ON MY BEING ABLE TO ANSWER HIS CALL QUICKLY. WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT 90% OF THE TIME. THIS PERHAPS SETS UP A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.

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