Narrative:

While working the crossville sector (R-37) frequency 126.67 failed. The transmitter worked intermittently and then went dead. Government X, an inbound to csg descending to FL350, checked onto frequency 126.67 and informed me that he had called 5 times prior to receiving acknowledgement. I cleared government X to FL260 2 times prior to his acknowledgement the third time I issued the clearance. I then attempted to turn air carrier Y 15 degrees right for traffic at his altitude. After getting no response, I continued trying to raise air carrier Y by changing transmitters and selecting the buec frequency. These efforts were unsuccessful. Finally, I established radio contact with air carrier Y and turned him 30 degrees right. While I was attempting to ensure separation between air carrier Y and his traffic with a failed frequency, government X entered the protected airspace of another sector without coordination or approval. This equipment failure nearly caused a loss of separation between air carrier Y and his traffic. The equipment failure did cause an airspace violation by government X.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROBLEM RADIO FREQ GOV X UNAUTHORIZED UNCOORD PENETRATION OF ADJACENT SECTOR AIRSPACE. OPDEV.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE CROSSVILLE SECTOR (R-37) FREQ 126.67 FAILED. THE XMITTER WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN WENT DEAD. GOV X, AN INBOUND TO CSG DSNDING TO FL350, CHKED ONTO FREQ 126.67 AND INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD CALLED 5 TIMES PRIOR TO RECEIVING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. I CLRED GOV X TO FL260 2 TIMES PRIOR TO HIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THE THIRD TIME I ISSUED THE CLRNC. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO TURN ACR Y 15 DEGS R FOR TFC AT HIS ALT. AFTER GETTING NO RESPONSE, I CONTINUED TRYING TO RAISE ACR Y BY CHANGING XMITTERS AND SELECTING THE BUEC FREQ. THESE EFFORTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. FINALLY, I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ACR Y AND TURNED HIM 30 DEGS R. WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENSURE SEPARATION BTWN ACR Y AND HIS TFC WITH A FAILED FREQ, GOV X ENTERED THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE OF ANOTHER SECTOR WITHOUT COORD OR APPROVAL. THIS EQUIP FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN ACR Y AND HIS TFC. THE EQUIP FAILURE DID CAUSE AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION BY GOV X.

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.