Narrative:

After making a handoff on a cvg arrival at FL350 who needed to be at or below FL310 within 20 mi, a heading was passed to the previous sector to assign a 360 degree heading, due to conflicting traffic. Verbal coordination was used to ask the radar associate to complete the heading assignment and get control of aircraft #1 to climb to his requested altitude of FL350. Aircraft #1 was direct to flm on a northwesterly heading, and I believed the cvg arrival was on a 360 degree heading. After aircraft #1 and the cvg aircraft diverged and gained the appropriate radar separation of 5 mi, I discontinued vertical separation and climbed aircraft #1 and descended the cvg arrival. I then noticed the cvg aircraft turn to the northwest, putting him in immediate conflict with aircraft #1. I climbed and descended each aircraft respectively back to the original altitude. Due to the fact aircraft #2 was nebound in direct conflict with aircraft #1, and being told by aircraft #1 that he could only climb at 500 FPM, I vectored aircraft #1 west, to avoid aircraft #2. Aircraft #2 was still climbing to FL330 out of about FL320, so I needed to gain control of aircraft #2 with a sector he was still in. After vectoring each aircraft to avoid each other, each aircraft reported each other in sight. In the future, I would like to see cvg aircraft avoid the super-high sector in the future. Also I would like to see a new regulation saying if aircraft are within 100 mi of arrival they should never be handed off 'stacked' on top of similar aircraft arriving at the same airport. I would also like to see ambient noise recorded along with all other coordination and radio xmissions. I believe if my voice was recorded radar controller to d-side controller, saying put the aircraft on a heading it would at least show the radar controller did ask the d-side to perform a duty, thus making the investigation easier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID RADAR CTLR LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 ACFT BEGINNING ARR DSCNT SEQUENCING.

Narrative: AFTER MAKING A HDOF ON A CVG ARR AT FL350 WHO NEEDED TO BE AT OR BELOW FL310 WITHIN 20 MI, A HEADING WAS PASSED TO THE PREVIOUS SECTOR TO ASSIGN A 360 DEG HDG, DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC. VERBAL COORD WAS USED TO ASK THE RADAR ASSOCIATE TO COMPLETE THE HEADING ASSIGNMENT AND GET CTL OF ACFT #1 TO CLB TO HIS REQUESTED ALT OF FL350. ACFT #1 WAS DIRECT TO FLM ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING, AND I BELIEVED THE CVG ARR WAS ON A 360 DEG HDG. AFTER ACFT #1 AND THE CVG ACFT DIVERGED AND GAINED THE APPROPRIATE RADAR SEPARATION OF 5 MI, I DISCONTINUED VERT SEPARATION AND CLBED ACFT #1 AND DSNDED THE CVG ARR. I THEN NOTICED THE CVG ACFT TURN TO THE NW, PUTTING HIM IN IMMEDIATE CONFLICT WITH ACFT #1. I CLBED AND DSNDED EACH ACFT RESPECTIVELY BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ALT. DUE TO THE FACT ACFT #2 WAS NEBOUND IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH ACFT #1, AND BEING TOLD BY ACFT #1 THAT HE COULD ONLY CLB AT 500 FPM, I VECTORED ACFT #1 W, TO AVOID ACFT #2. ACFT #2 WAS STILL CLBING TO FL330 OUT OF ABOUT FL320, SO I NEEDED TO GAIN CTL OF ACFT #2 WITH A SECTOR HE WAS STILL IN. AFTER VECTORING EACH ACFT TO AVOID EACH OTHER, EACH ACFT RPTED EACH OTHER IN SIGHT. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CVG ACFT AVOID THE SUPER-HIGH SECTOR IN THE FUTURE. ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A NEW REG SAYING IF ACFT ARE WITHIN 100 MI OF ARR THEY SHOULD NEVER BE HANDED OFF 'STACKED' ON TOP OF SIMILAR ACFT ARRIVING AT THE SAME ARPT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE AMBIENT NOISE RECORDED ALONG WITH ALL OTHER COORD AND RADIO XMISSIONS. I BELIEVE IF MY VOICE WAS RECORDED RADAR CTLR TO D-SIDE CTLR, SAYING PUT THE ACFT ON A HEADING IT WOULD AT LEAST SHOW THE RADAR CTLR DID ASK THE D-SIDE TO PERFORM A DUTY, THUS MAKING THE INVESTIGATION EASIER.

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.