Narrative:

Houston approach requested aircraft X enter their airspace at 10000 ft. Aircraft X came on my frequency abeam huntsville; tx; descending to FL240. I issued aircraft X a descent rate of at least 3000 FPM. Aircraft Z was a houston departure climbing to one five thousand slightly east of aircraft X and was given a 20 degree turn to stay clear of aircraft X. Aircraft Y was a houston departure climbing to one five thousand slightly west of aircraft X and was assigned a climb rate of at least two thousand five hundred FPM. It became clear that more vectors would be necessary. I turned aircraft Y 20 degrees left and as soon as he was clear of aircraft Z; aircraft X was turned 20 degrees to the left. I attempted to obtain altitude reports from both aircraft as they descended; but was unable to do so in a timely manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT FL180 WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DESCEND A HOU AREA ARR THROUGH SEVERAL DEP ACFT; MISJUDGING SPACING NEEDED.

Narrative: HOUSTON APCH REQUESTED ACFT X ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT. ACFT X CAME ON MY FREQ ABEAM HUNTSVILLE; TX; DSNDING TO FL240. I ISSUED ACFT X A DSCNT RATE OF AT LEAST 3000 FPM. ACFT Z WAS A HOUSTON DEP CLBING TO ONE FIVE THOUSAND SLIGHTLY E OF ACFT X AND WAS GIVEN A 20 DEG TURN TO STAY CLR OF ACFT X. ACFT Y WAS A HOUSTON DEP CLBING TO ONE FIVE THOUSAND SLIGHTLY W OF ACFT X AND WAS ASSIGNED A CLB RATE OF AT LEAST TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FPM. IT BECAME CLR THAT MORE VECTORS WOULD BE NECESSARY. I TURNED ACFT Y 20 DEGS L AND AS SOON AS HE WAS CLR OF ACFT Z; ACFT X WAS TURNED 20 DEGS TO THE L. I ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN ALT RPTS FROM BOTH ACFT AS THEY DSNDED; BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.