Narrative:

I was working the burlington sector alone with moderate traffic. The malta sector to the northeast of the burlington sector was being worked by a supervisor getting currency time. I noticed early on that the sector was busy by all the limited data blocks I could see in that airspace. Soon; aircraft with full data blocks and limited data blocks were entering my airspace with and without handoffs and no communication xfer to me whatsoever. I proceeded to give the malta sector a wide berth to sort out their mess. At some later point; a crj from ord at 16000 ft entered by a couple of mi the very northern reaches of my sector headed wbound. Ordinarily; the burlington sector never sees these aircraft as they are usually further north of the boundary. The malta controller dropped this aircraft from their scope. The malta controller then climbed the beech through the crj. The malta sector did not have control to climb the beech; as the beech was now in the dubuque sector. I was talking to the beech when conflict alert went off; but since I thought that both aircraft were coming from the dubuque sector; that visual separation was being applied. As it turned out; dubuque was only talking to the crj. The malta radar controller was in way over their head; it turns out. A supervisor from another area fell behind the problem early and dragged down 2 other sectors with them. I believe the final count was 1 error (attributed to me; go figure) and 11; that is eleven airspace deviations. 1 airspace deviation was incorrectly attributed to me. I followed the burlington/malta SOP to the letter. All told; the supervisor working at malta huddled up in quality assurance for a couple of hours as the damage control began before any of us had seen or heard a satori. The result -- a slap on the wrist for the supervisor; an error for me; and a slew of airspace deviations for the poor malta d-side who got paged back to the area in the middle of this mess and tried in vain to mitigate the damage incurred by this supervisor. Ultimately; I am more upset by the airspace deviation than the error being thrown my way. This was a dangerous; out-of-control situation that cast a negative spotlight on the way things are run in this building.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR DESCRIBED OPERROR AND MULTIPLE OPDEV EVENTS; ALLEGING SUPVR ON ADJACENT POSITION FOR CURRENCY WAS PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE BURLINGTON SECTOR ALONE WITH MODERATE TFC. THE MALTA SECTOR TO THE NE OF THE BURLINGTON SECTOR WAS BEING WORKED BY A SUPVR GETTING CURRENCY TIME. I NOTICED EARLY ON THAT THE SECTOR WAS BUSY BY ALL THE LIMITED DATA BLOCKS I COULD SEE IN THAT AIRSPACE. SOON; ACFT WITH FULL DATA BLOCKS AND LIMITED DATA BLOCKS WERE ENTERING MY AIRSPACE WITH AND WITHOUT HDOFS AND NO COM XFER TO ME WHATSOEVER. I PROCEEDED TO GIVE THE MALTA SECTOR A WIDE BERTH TO SORT OUT THEIR MESS. AT SOME LATER POINT; A CRJ FROM ORD AT 16000 FT ENTERED BY A COUPLE OF MI THE VERY NORTHERN REACHES OF MY SECTOR HEADED WBOUND. ORDINARILY; THE BURLINGTON SECTOR NEVER SEES THESE ACFT AS THEY ARE USUALLY FURTHER N OF THE BOUNDARY. THE MALTA CTLR DROPPED THIS ACFT FROM THEIR SCOPE. THE MALTA CTLR THEN CLBED THE BEECH THROUGH THE CRJ. THE MALTA SECTOR DID NOT HAVE CTL TO CLB THE BEECH; AS THE BEECH WAS NOW IN THE DUBUQUE SECTOR. I WAS TALKING TO THE BEECH WHEN CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF; BUT SINCE I THOUGHT THAT BOTH ACFT WERE COMING FROM THE DUBUQUE SECTOR; THAT VISUAL SEPARATION WAS BEING APPLIED. AS IT TURNED OUT; DUBUQUE WAS ONLY TALKING TO THE CRJ. THE MALTA RADAR CTLR WAS IN WAY OVER THEIR HEAD; IT TURNS OUT. A SUPVR FROM ANOTHER AREA FELL BEHIND THE PROB EARLY AND DRAGGED DOWN 2 OTHER SECTORS WITH THEM. I BELIEVE THE FINAL COUNT WAS 1 ERROR (ATTRIBUTED TO ME; GO FIGURE) AND 11; THAT IS ELEVEN AIRSPACE DEVS. 1 AIRSPACE DEV WAS INCORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO ME. I FOLLOWED THE BURLINGTON/MALTA SOP TO THE LETTER. ALL TOLD; THE SUPVR WORKING AT MALTA HUDDLED UP IN QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR A COUPLE OF HRS AS THE DAMAGE CTL BEGAN BEFORE ANY OF US HAD SEEN OR HEARD A SATORI. THE RESULT -- A SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR THE SUPVR; AN ERROR FOR ME; AND A SLEW OF AIRSPACE DEVS FOR THE POOR MALTA D-SIDE WHO GOT PAGED BACK TO THE AREA IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS MESS AND TRIED IN VAIN TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE INCURRED BY THIS SUPVR. ULTIMATELY; I AM MORE UPSET BY THE AIRSPACE DEV THAN THE ERROR BEING THROWN MY WAY. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS; OUT-OF-CONTROL SITUATION THAT CAST A NEGATIVE SPOTLIGHT ON THE WAY THINGS ARE RUN IN THIS BUILDING.

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.