Narrative:

Supervisor combined ultra high to high; although controllers told him it was too early. Then supervisor combined high sectors together although at least 3 controllers told him it was too busy to combine. The controller at gadsden sector; where all sectors had been combined; told the supervisor the sector was about to become overloaded. He requested departure restrs and the supervisor did not acknowledge him. I had to relieve the previous controller and told the supervisor to split the sectors as they were overloaded. I asked for restrs with no response. I told the supervisor I was working under article 65. Told the supervisor too many airplanes to watch. Supervisor added a tanker. Separation was lost several mins later. Due to the overloaded sector; none of the 3 controllers working saw the confliction until almost too late. I turned both aircraft 40 degrees and tried to expedite 1 aircraft and get an altitude report without success. I don't have the call signs because we don't use flight strips any more. I believe one was an air carrier X and one was an air carrier Y. I was never told separation was lost; but I 'heard' the snitch went off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION AT FL350 WHEN SECTORS WERE BEING COMBINED BY A SUPVR FOR A LATE NIGHT OP.

Narrative: SUPVR COMBINED ULTRA HIGH TO HIGH; ALTHOUGH CTLRS TOLD HIM IT WAS TOO EARLY. THEN SUPVR COMBINED HIGH SECTORS TOGETHER ALTHOUGH AT LEAST 3 CTLRS TOLD HIM IT WAS TOO BUSY TO COMBINE. THE CTLR AT GADSDEN SECTOR; WHERE ALL SECTORS HAD BEEN COMBINED; TOLD THE SUPVR THE SECTOR WAS ABOUT TO BECOME OVERLOADED. HE REQUESTED DEP RESTRS AND THE SUPVR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. I HAD TO RELIEVE THE PREVIOUS CTLR AND TOLD THE SUPVR TO SPLIT THE SECTORS AS THEY WERE OVERLOADED. I ASKED FOR RESTRS WITH NO RESPONSE. I TOLD THE SUPVR I WAS WORKING UNDER ARTICLE 65. TOLD THE SUPVR TOO MANY AIRPLANES TO WATCH. SUPVR ADDED A TANKER. SEPARATION WAS LOST SEVERAL MINS LATER. DUE TO THE OVERLOADED SECTOR; NONE OF THE 3 CTLRS WORKING SAW THE CONFLICTION UNTIL ALMOST TOO LATE. I TURNED BOTH ACFT 40 DEGS AND TRIED TO EXPEDITE 1 ACFT AND GET AN ALT RPT WITHOUT SUCCESS. I DON'T HAVE THE CALL SIGNS BECAUSE WE DON'T USE FLT STRIPS ANY MORE. I BELIEVE ONE WAS AN ACR X AND ONE WAS AN ACR Y. I WAS NEVER TOLD SEPARATION WAS LOST; BUT I 'HEARD' THE SNITCH WENT OFF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.