Narrative:

I was working 3 sectors combined -- low altitude, high altitude, and ultra high altitude. Workload was high, but not overly so. We were requesting and receiving ELT reports (emergency locator transmitter). About 2 hours earlier, we lost both radar and radio contact with a piper cherokee near alamosa, co. I had 2 low altitude aircraft in the general vicinity of this loss. I requested they both monitor 121.5 for the ELT. There were several high altitude aircraft also. I recognized a confliction between aircraft X wbound from over alamosa to farmington, NM, to lax, and aircraft Y nwbound from over santa flight engineer, NM, to farmington to sfo. At this time, they were each approximately 100 mi from farmington. I was working these sectors combined because we did not have adequate staffing to open appropriate sectors to lessen workload. I was told I had 19 aircraft on frequency. That would be on 3 frequencys due to lack of frequency coverage. When the aircraft were about 50 mi from farmington, I issued a 35 degree left turn to aircraft X. He read this back correctly. In my experience, this would be sufficient. I then went on to correct a heading given to an aircraft Z on his way to razor back, ar. At this time, a lifeguard king air popped up on frequency requesting an IFR clearance to albuquerque. I issued a code for him to squawk. I then recognized that the aircraft X and aircraft Y were going to get within 3 mi of each other. I told aircraft X to turn another 15 degrees and told aircraft Y to turn 20 degrees left. It went from 5 mi to 4 mi to 4.3 mi back to 5 mi and greater. Then I cleared the lifeguard to abq, shipped a couple of aircraft and was properly relieved from the sector!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDV ARTCC CTLR LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 ACR B757 ACFT ON CONVERGING COURSES AT FL350.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING 3 SECTORS COMBINED -- LOW ALT, HIGH ALT, AND ULTRA HIGH ALT. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH, BUT NOT OVERLY SO. WE WERE REQUESTING AND RECEIVING ELT RPTS (EMER LOCATOR XMITTER). ABOUT 2 HRS EARLIER, WE LOST BOTH RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WITH A PIPER CHEROKEE NEAR ALAMOSA, CO. I HAD 2 LOW ALT ACFT IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THIS LOSS. I REQUESTED THEY BOTH MONITOR 121.5 FOR THE ELT. THERE WERE SEVERAL HIGH ALT ACFT ALSO. I RECOGNIZED A CONFLICTION BTWN ACFT X WBOUND FROM OVER ALAMOSA TO FARMINGTON, NM, TO LAX, AND ACFT Y NWBOUND FROM OVER SANTA FE, NM, TO FARMINGTON TO SFO. AT THIS TIME, THEY WERE EACH APPROX 100 MI FROM FARMINGTON. I WAS WORKING THESE SECTORS COMBINED BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING TO OPEN APPROPRIATE SECTORS TO LESSEN WORKLOAD. I WAS TOLD I HAD 19 ACFT ON FREQ. THAT WOULD BE ON 3 FREQS DUE TO LACK OF FREQ COVERAGE. WHEN THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 50 MI FROM FARMINGTON, I ISSUED A 35 DEG L TURN TO ACFT X. HE READ THIS BACK CORRECTLY. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. I THEN WENT ON TO CORRECT A HDG GIVEN TO AN ACFT Z ON HIS WAY TO RAZOR BACK, AR. AT THIS TIME, A LIFEGUARD KING AIR POPPED UP ON FREQ REQUESTING AN IFR CLRNC TO ALBUQUERQUE. I ISSUED A CODE FOR HIM TO SQUAWK. I THEN RECOGNIZED THAT THE ACFT X AND ACFT Y WERE GOING TO GET WITHIN 3 MI OF EACH OTHER. I TOLD ACFT X TO TURN ANOTHER 15 DEGS AND TOLD ACFT Y TO TURN 20 DEGS L. IT WENT FROM 5 MI TO 4 MI TO 4.3 MI BACK TO 5 MI AND GREATER. THEN I CLRED THE LIFEGUARD TO ABQ, SHIPPED A COUPLE OF ACFT AND WAS PROPERLY RELIEVED FROM THE SECTOR!

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.