B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Fatigue; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
A B717 was flying the ZZZ1 transition on the STAR arrival. A MD88 was flying the ZZZ2 transition on the STAR arrival. Both transitions converge at the same intersection. The MD88 was slowed to 280 KTS on initial check-in and then told to cross STAR at 14;000. The B717 was told to cross STAR at 14;000 and given a speed of 310 KTS to stay in front of the MD88. As the two were converging on intersection; the MD88 was turned 10 left for in trail. As they got closer the speed and heading didn't give me enough room; so I amended the MD88 to FL200 and expedited the B717 through FL190. Nothing worked and separation was lost. After being off the sector for a while; I was trying to figure out how I could let this happen. After many years of in trail separation to aircraft; this shouldn't have happened. All my turns and speeds are usually right on. My supervisor asked me to do some training and it was the one on fatigue management. After finishing; I believe fatigue had a lot to do with this. It explains about the amount of sleep you should be getting each night. If you don't; you may not realize you are tired. I have been on Alternate Work Schedule (AWS) for a couple of years now and this year management changed all the shifts to later by about an hour. This hour doesn't seem like much; but I drive a long distance each way to work. I have tried to reason with management in order to move my shift by one hour so I can get home and get a good night sleep. They say they can't do it. The training said it is my responsibility to ensure I get enough sleep or rest. I do believe that this is a contributing factor. I think management should stop looking at controllers as a number and start seeing them as people. Realize these people need time off and time between shifts.
A long time Enroute Controller experience a loss of separation event; the reporter noted that fatigue was indeed a factor in the event.