Narrative:

I took control of sector 38; tar river sector; with a developmental. The sector had a lot of complexity and volume; 19 aircraft on frequency. The developmental is far along in training; this is her last sector. There was another developmental on the d-side (assistant) position who we wrongly assumed was certified. We soon learned that he/she wasn't. There were multiple priorities that needed to be accomplished. 1) a non-rvsm aircraft needed to be transitioned down to non-rvsm airspace. 2) an immediate pointout was needed to an adjacent sector; d-side developmental could not help us. 3) a short notice; tmu directed bos reroute was being requested. The supervisor on duty asked me about the aircraft; which was a distraction from what the developmental was doing. At this time he/she issued the critical descent to the A319 and I didn't hear it. 4) there were 3 washington dc metropolitan arrs that needed to be transitioned from FL370 to FL270 in the space of 60 NM through a high volume of opposite direction; sbound traffic. I felt that the developmental was in full control and accomplishing all the necessary tasks. He/she put a jring (5 NM) on the HS25 sbound well in advance in anticipation that he would be traffic for the descending metropolitan traffic. When he/she issued the descent to the A319 (iad) I missed it as noted above #3. When I saw it; I projected his flight path would pass behind the jring of the HS25. The A319 was turned to the right; 4.5 NM/500 ft. Other factors: ZDC is issuing mandatory overtime to non volunteers almost weekly. There is an enormous amount of OJT occurring in order to catch up with staffing. Add the thunderstorms/deviations -- I am exhausted!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR PROVIDING OJT DURING BUSY TFC; FAILED TO NOTE A DESCENT CLRNC ISSUED BY THE STUDENT CTLR; OPERROR EXPERIENCED AT APPROX FL370.

Narrative: I TOOK CTL OF SECTOR 38; TAR RIVER SECTOR; WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL. THE SECTOR HAD A LOT OF COMPLEXITY AND VOLUME; 19 ACFT ON FREQ. THE DEVELOPMENTAL IS FAR ALONG IN TRAINING; THIS IS HER LAST SECTOR. THERE WAS ANOTHER DEVELOPMENTAL ON THE D-SIDE (ASSISTANT) POS WHO WE WRONGLY ASSUMED WAS CERTIFIED. WE SOON LEARNED THAT HE/SHE WASN'T. THERE WERE MULTIPLE PRIORITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. 1) A NON-RVSM ACFT NEEDED TO BE TRANSITIONED DOWN TO NON-RVSM AIRSPACE. 2) AN IMMEDIATE POINTOUT WAS NEEDED TO AN ADJACENT SECTOR; D-SIDE DEVELOPMENTAL COULD NOT HELP US. 3) A SHORT NOTICE; TMU DIRECTED BOS REROUTE WAS BEING REQUESTED. THE SUPVR ON DUTY ASKED ME ABOUT THE ACFT; WHICH WAS A DISTR FROM WHAT THE DEVELOPMENTAL WAS DOING. AT THIS TIME HE/SHE ISSUED THE CRITICAL DSCNT TO THE A319 AND I DIDN'T HEAR IT. 4) THERE WERE 3 WASHINGTON DC METRO ARRS THAT NEEDED TO BE TRANSITIONED FROM FL370 TO FL270 IN THE SPACE OF 60 NM THROUGH A HIGH VOLUME OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION; SBOUND TFC. I FELT THAT THE DEVELOPMENTAL WAS IN FULL CTL AND ACCOMPLISHING ALL THE NECESSARY TASKS. HE/SHE PUT A JRING (5 NM) ON THE HS25 SBOUND WELL IN ADVANCE IN ANTICIPATION THAT HE WOULD BE TFC FOR THE DSNDING METRO TFC. WHEN HE/SHE ISSUED THE DSCNT TO THE A319 (IAD) I MISSED IT AS NOTED ABOVE #3. WHEN I SAW IT; I PROJECTED HIS FLT PATH WOULD PASS BEHIND THE JRING OF THE HS25. THE A319 WAS TURNED TO THE R; 4.5 NM/500 FT. OTHER FACTORS: ZDC IS ISSUING MANDATORY OVERTIME TO NON VOLUNTEERS ALMOST WEEKLY. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF OJT OCCURRING IN ORDER TO CATCH UP WITH STAFFING. ADD THE TSTMS/DEVS -- I AM EXHAUSTED!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.