Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was sebound level at FL250 and being worked by the X sector (84). Aircraft #2 was nwbound climbing to FL280 and being worked by myself in the Y sector (86). Aircraft #2 passed through the southwest corner of my sector and automatic handed off to sector 84. Aircraft #1 passed through sector 84 and a handoff to sector 86 was initiated. I observed aircraft #2's climb rate and felt that given the distance apart and the rate of climb that no action on my part was warranted. Aircraft #2 was switched to sector 84's frequency. Subsequently, I observed the position of the 2 flts and advised sector 84 that I was going to turn aircraft #1 since that flight was in sector 84's airspace. I issued a 20 degree turn, but separation was lost. The loss of separation occurred in sector 84's airspace. Aircraft #2 never contacted sector 84 and, therefore, that controller could not issue any control instructions. Although I did issue the proper frequency to aircraft #2, and the pilot correctly read back the correct frequency, the pilot failed to comply with my control instruction by not contacting the next controller. ATC control instructions could not be issued by the sector 84 controller. I repeatedly attempted to contact aircraft #2 once I was advised by sector 84 that the pilot never contacted him. Pilot of aircraft #2 was subsequently contacted by having another flight go through company dispatch. Sector 84 had control responsibility for his sector, the loss of separation occurred in that sector. I (sector 86) was never advised to issue any control instructions prior to switching aircraft #2 to sector 84. Sector 84 possibly felt that he had ample time, as I did, to issue any needed control clrncs once the pilot checked on frequency. In summary, the pilot of aircraft #2 was given a 'contact frequency' control instruction by sector 86 and that control instruction was received and understood by the pilot, but the pilot failed to comply. Simply stated, this error occurred because of pilot deviation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICT BTWN 2 CONVERGING CRJ ACFT OCCURRED WHEN ZID ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS LATE TURNING 1 OF THE 2 FOR PROPER SPACING.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS SEBOUND LEVEL AT FL250 AND BEING WORKED BY THE X SECTOR (84). ACFT #2 WAS NWBOUND CLBING TO FL280 AND BEING WORKED BY MYSELF IN THE Y SECTOR (86). ACFT #2 PASSED THROUGH THE SW CORNER OF MY SECTOR AND AUTO HANDED OFF TO SECTOR 84. ACFT #1 PASSED THROUGH SECTOR 84 AND A HDOF TO SECTOR 86 WAS INITIATED. I OBSERVED ACFT #2'S CLB RATE AND FELT THAT GIVEN THE DISTANCE APART AND THE RATE OF CLB THAT NO ACTION ON MY PART WAS WARRANTED. ACFT #2 WAS SWITCHED TO SECTOR 84'S FREQ. SUBSEQUENTLY, I OBSERVED THE POS OF THE 2 FLTS AND ADVISED SECTOR 84 THAT I WAS GOING TO TURN ACFT #1 SINCE THAT FLT WAS IN SECTOR 84'S AIRSPACE. I ISSUED A 20 DEG TURN, BUT SEPARATION WAS LOST. THE LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED IN SECTOR 84'S AIRSPACE. ACFT #2 NEVER CONTACTED SECTOR 84 AND, THEREFORE, THAT CTLR COULD NOT ISSUE ANY CTL INSTRUCTIONS. ALTHOUGH I DID ISSUE THE PROPER FREQ TO ACFT #2, AND THE PLT CORRECTLY READ BACK THE CORRECT FREQ, THE PLT FAILED TO COMPLY WITH MY CTL INSTRUCTION BY NOT CONTACTING THE NEXT CTLR. ATC CTL INSTRUCTIONS COULD NOT BE ISSUED BY THE SECTOR 84 CTLR. I REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ACFT #2 ONCE I WAS ADVISED BY SECTOR 84 THAT THE PLT NEVER CONTACTED HIM. PLT OF ACFT #2 WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED BY HAVING ANOTHER FLT GO THROUGH COMPANY DISPATCH. SECTOR 84 HAD CTL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS SECTOR, THE LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED IN THAT SECTOR. I (SECTOR 86) WAS NEVER ADVISED TO ISSUE ANY CTL INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO SWITCHING ACFT #2 TO SECTOR 84. SECTOR 84 POSSIBLY FELT THAT HE HAD AMPLE TIME, AS I DID, TO ISSUE ANY NEEDED CTL CLRNCS ONCE THE PLT CHKED ON FREQ. IN SUMMARY, THE PLT OF ACFT #2 WAS GIVEN A 'CONTACT FREQ' CTL INSTRUCTION BY SECTOR 86 AND THAT CTL INSTRUCTION WAS RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD BY THE PLT, BUT THE PLT FAILED TO COMPLY. SIMPLY STATED, THIS ERROR OCCURRED BECAUSE OF PLTDEV.

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.