Narrative:

Third aircraft, B767, air carrier, passenger, IFR, cruise, on vector. Sector was very busy, 19 aircraft in sector, with only 2 altitudes available (FL310 and FL330). Lear eastbound from blu to adw, FL330, on vector for traffic. B737 climbing off pit to iah to FL330 on vector for 3 aircraft. B767, iad to lax, FL310, on vector for numerous aircraft around hvq. An aircraft, call sign 'a' called on, calling himself 'B,' distracting me until I could locate him. After I idented call sign 'a,' I turned LR35 back direct hvq, instead of the next fix (puttz) which I intended to do. This put LR35 in conflict with pit climbing aircraft (B737) which I wasn't talking to. (I had already switched B737 to next frequency.) the controller talking to B737 descended him into B767 wbound at FL310. LR35 was turned back away from B737, but received a TCASII RA and climbed approximately 2000 ft. This sector frequently gets extremely busy because it only owns 2 altitudes (FL310 and FL330). There is not enough airspace to correct problems when numerous aircraft are on vectors. Supplemental information from acn 601175: I was working the tracker position. The aircraft on a vector was in conflict with another aircraft. We coordinated to descend our aircraft to FL310 from FL330. The radar controller descended the aircraft to FL310. When the aircraft started flashing in conflict with the aircraft at FL310, we climbed our aircraft, who was at FL325 back to FL330 to miss. We were working a sector that is FL350 and above, so our altitude filter limits are not set to FL310. We only see limited data blocks FL330 and above. When we coordinated to descend our aircraft to FL310, we did not see the aircraft at FL310 until it was in conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID CTLR, DURING A COMPLEX XING TFC SIT, ISSUES THE WRONG RTE TO AN LJ35 RESULTING IN A CONFLICT WITH A PRECOORD, CLBING B737.

Narrative: THIRD ACFT, B767, ACR, PAX, IFR, CRUISE, ON VECTOR. SECTOR WAS VERY BUSY, 19 ACFT IN SECTOR, WITH ONLY 2 ALTS AVAILABLE (FL310 AND FL330). LEAR EBOUND FROM BLU TO ADW, FL330, ON VECTOR FOR TFC. B737 CLBING OFF PIT TO IAH TO FL330 ON VECTOR FOR 3 ACFT. B767, IAD TO LAX, FL310, ON VECTOR FOR NUMEROUS ACFT AROUND HVQ. AN ACFT, CALL SIGN 'A' CALLED ON, CALLING HIMSELF 'B,' DISTRACTING ME UNTIL I COULD LOCATE HIM. AFTER I IDENTED CALL SIGN 'A,' I TURNED LR35 BACK DIRECT HVQ, INSTEAD OF THE NEXT FIX (PUTTZ) WHICH I INTENDED TO DO. THIS PUT LR35 IN CONFLICT WITH PIT CLBING ACFT (B737) WHICH I WASN'T TALKING TO. (I HAD ALREADY SWITCHED B737 TO NEXT FREQ.) THE CTLR TALKING TO B737 DSNDED HIM INTO B767 WBOUND AT FL310. LR35 WAS TURNED BACK AWAY FROM B737, BUT RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND CLBED APPROX 2000 FT. THIS SECTOR FREQUENTLY GETS EXTREMELY BUSY BECAUSE IT ONLY OWNS 2 ALTS (FL310 AND FL330). THERE IS NOT ENOUGH AIRSPACE TO CORRECT PROBS WHEN NUMEROUS ACFT ARE ON VECTORS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 601175: I WAS WORKING THE TRACKER POS. THE ACFT ON A VECTOR WAS IN CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WE COORDINATED TO DSND OUR ACFT TO FL310 FROM FL330. THE RADAR CTLR DSNDED THE ACFT TO FL310. WHEN THE ACFT STARTED FLASHING IN CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT AT FL310, WE CLBED OUR ACFT, WHO WAS AT FL325 BACK TO FL330 TO MISS. WE WERE WORKING A SECTOR THAT IS FL350 AND ABOVE, SO OUR ALT FILTER LIMITS ARE NOT SET TO FL310. WE ONLY SEE LIMITED DATA BLOCKS FL330 AND ABOVE. WHEN WE COORDINATED TO DSND OUR ACFT TO FL310, WE DID NOT SEE THE ACFT AT FL310 UNTIL IT WAS IN CONFLICT.

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.