Traffic conflict occurred between head-on traffic in ZAU airspace.

Attributes
ACN	554140
Time
Date	200207
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau.artcc
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : developmental
Experience	controller limited radar : 0 controller military : 0 controller non radar : 1.5 controller radar : 0 controller supervisory : 0 controller time certified in position2 : 7
ASRS Report	554140
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 23400 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

ZOB called on the landline to make a pointout on an aircraft traveling on a course from northwest of litchfield, mi, to the brave intersection outside of milwaukee, wi. At the same time, another aircraft was climbing off of O'hare direct to salem, mi. At the time the pointout was received, aircraft X was approximately 50 mi from the other aircraft leaving the middle twenties altitudes. Immediately after the pointout was received, I made the radar controller aware of the aircraft. About 2 mins later the same sector in cleveland called to have us turn an aircraft in front of aircraft Y to the southeast because aircraft Y was going to deviate on a 270 degree heading. This would have still kept the aircraft slightly north of our boundary. Around this time the radar controller expedited aircraft X through FL330 for FL370. In the relief briefing no mention was made about the pointout or that he was deviating. Only the radar controller knew about the pointout, not that he was deviating. 30 seconds later, I returned to the sector to let the radar controller and the radar associate know that aircraft Y may deviate south. Neither one heard what was said and an error occurred a few mins later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED BTWN HEAD-ON TFC IN ZAU AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ZOB CALLED ON THE LANDLINE TO MAKE A POINTOUT ON AN ACFT TRAVELING ON A COURSE FROM NW OF LITCHFIELD, MI, TO THE BRAVE INTXN OUTSIDE OF MILWAUKEE, WI. AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLBING OFF OF O'HARE DIRECT TO SALEM, MI. AT THE TIME THE POINTOUT WAS RECEIVED, ACFT X WAS APPROX 50 MI FROM THE OTHER ACFT LEAVING THE MIDDLE TWENTIES ALTS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE POINTOUT WAS RECEIVED, I MADE THE RADAR CTLR AWARE OF THE ACFT. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER THE SAME SECTOR IN CLEVELAND CALLED TO HAVE US TURN AN ACFT IN FRONT OF ACFT Y TO THE SE BECAUSE ACFT Y WAS GOING TO DEVIATE ON A 270 DEG HDG. THIS WOULD HAVE STILL KEPT THE ACFT SLIGHTLY N OF OUR BOUNDARY. AROUND THIS TIME THE RADAR CTLR EXPEDITED ACFT X THROUGH FL330 FOR FL370. IN THE RELIEF BRIEFING NO MENTION WAS MADE ABOUT THE POINTOUT OR THAT HE WAS DEVIATING. ONLY THE RADAR CTLR KNEW ABOUT THE POINTOUT, NOT THAT HE WAS DEVIATING. 30 SECONDS LATER, I RETURNED TO THE SECTOR TO LET THE RADAR CTLR AND THE RADAR ASSOCIATE KNOW THAT ACFT Y MAY DEVIATE S. NEITHER ONE HEARD WHAT WAS SAID AND AN ERROR OCCURRED A FEW MINS LATER.

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.