ZDC controller obtains incorrect coordination indication from his sector handoff coordination and climbs a C560 in conflict with another sector controled B737.

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Attributes
ACN	437244
Time
Date	199905
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Citation V
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 4.2
ASRS Report	437244
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 900
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Sector impacted by WX. All aircraft were deviating. Sector staffed with r-side, tracker and d-side. C560 (aircraft X) climbing to FL210 deviating northeast before turning back on course to the northwest. B737 (aircraft Y) descending to FL210, sebound by another sector. Tracker suggested to keep the C560 climbing to FL230 and he'd then have the sector with the B737 stop the aircraft at FL240. The tracker verbally coordinated his request to stop the B737, misunderstood a head shake as acknowledgement, changed the data block on the B737 as descending to FL240 and advised the r-side of the situation. If tracker would have gotten a verbal response back from other controller, the error never would have happened!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR OBTAINS INCORRECT COORD INDICATION FROM HIS SECTOR HDOF COORD AND CLBS A C560 IN CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER SECTOR CTLED B737.

Narrative: SECTOR IMPACTED BY WX. ALL ACFT WERE DEVIATING. SECTOR STAFFED WITH R-SIDE, TRACKER AND D-SIDE. C560 (ACFT X) CLBING TO FL210 DEVIATING NE BEFORE TURNING BACK ON COURSE TO THE NW. B737 (ACFT Y) DSNDING TO FL210, SEBOUND BY ANOTHER SECTOR. TRACKER SUGGESTED TO KEEP THE C560 CLBING TO FL230 AND HE'D THEN HAVE THE SECTOR WITH THE B737 STOP THE ACFT AT FL240. THE TRACKER VERBALLY COORDINATED HIS REQUEST TO STOP THE B737, MISUNDERSTOOD A HEAD SHAKE AS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, CHANGED THE DATA BLOCK ON THE B737 AS DSNDING TO FL240 AND ADVISED THE R-SIDE OF THE SIT. IF TRACKER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A VERBAL RESPONSE BACK FROM OTHER CTLR, THE ERROR NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!

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.