Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 26
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Company Policy; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Denver Center handed off two aircraft on collision courses at 37;000 feet (Aircraft X and Aircraft Y). We had to call them to turn Aircraft X 20 degrees right to maintain separation. The Denver Center controller called back and said the pilot couldn't turn left because of weather. Then he asked what we wanted him to do! We told him to climb Aircraft X or Aircraft Y to 38;000 feet wrong altitude of direction of flight. Luckily Aircraft X was able to climb. He ended up climbing Aircraft X inside our airspace to avoid a collision! It's unbelievable to me the Denver Center does not realize that they are handing aircraft off to us on collision courses and then when we give them advice on how to separate then they have no other plan on how to separate aircraft! Hold controllers and supervisors accountable for knowingly not separating aircraft.
ZMP Center Controller reported the adjacent sector handed them off two aircraft at the same altitude on converging courses.