A320
Air Traffic Control Developmental
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
I was working the RADAR at Sector X. Traffic was picking up and I got a D-Side. A CRJ2 departed a Class B and was filed up on jetroute. I initially climbed him to FL280. After being level for several minutes he requested FL340. I told him it would be about 3 minutes to clear eastbound traffic at FL290. I physically pointed out the plane climbing to FL340. As the CRJ2 got closer to Area 4's airspace; the A320 was either PVD'ed or the handoff was initiated. The aircraft [was] leaving FL287 climbing to FL320. My D-Side coordinated with Sector Y while I issued clearances to other aircraft. My D-Side told me to climb the CRJ2 to FL310 with respect to the A320. I had already begun climbing the CRJ2 to FL340 so I amended the altitude to FL310 and then once more to FL290 realizing the A320 was climbing slowly through FL290. FL310 was in the datablock as it was coordinated that I would climb him to the altitude and Sector Y accepted the handoff that way. I had the CRJ2 highlighted so I knew that he wasn't climbing to FL310 but rather I was to climb him underneath. I issued several other clearances to other aircraft and Sector Z's D called me to say that the A320 had descended back to FL290. At this time Sector W's D was also on the line and I told the CRJ2 to climb and maintain FL300 and expedite. The pilot questioned the clearance so I told him to turn to a 360 heading and climb to FL310 and to report out of FL300. At some point in the transmission to the CRJ2 I managed to tell both Sector Z and Sector W that I was climbing the CRJ2 since I realized they didn't know what was happening. I feel like my not yet 3 years of experience solo on the RADAR doesn't quite qualify me to figure out a solution but what I realized is this was a very unsafe situation that ended up with nearly 8 controllers involved between 4 sectors and 3 areas. Multiple things were being coordinated with not enough time between to figure out what the most current clearance should be and I ended up reacting to a situation rather than controlling it.
Enroute Developmental described an unsafe event when multiple sectors were involved in coordination and/or lack there of resulting in the occurrence.