Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 18
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Weather; Staffing; Human Factors; Procedure
Aircraft X was negative RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minima). I took a handoff from the sector above and needed to descend Aircraft X through my airspace. Here's the problem. I was the sector just on the back side of the weather; all of my rides were bad and every airplane wanted lower. If that is not enough all of the east coast traffic was routed north over ROD with 40 miles in trail spacing. I started Aircraft X down to 35000 feet but didn't have lower until the sector below me descended the aircraft I had given him at 33000 feet. My Assist asked me what the plan was. I said well; I don't have lower yet but I can see this limited data block at 36000 feet in Sector 95 who is traffic so I'm going to turn him right to separate from that traffic. I did so and then did some other things. My Assist was then giving a position relief briefing and I thought I heard him say to the receiving controller that the non-RVSM equipped aircraft was all coordinated. A minute later Aircraft X was in conflict alert with an aircraft in the next sector. To make matters worse it was handing off to the wrong sector! I corrected the handoff and called Sector 96. When I called I heard the Sector 96 trainer say something like how is it your fault; they didn't even flash him at you. I said I thought it was coordinated. Since I had lower available by then I asked if they would like me to descend Aircraft X to 33000 feet and back on course. They said yes. I did both of those things; switched communications to Sector 96; and moved on to everyone else. It hit me a few minutes later that Sector 86 was probably open and they own 33000 feet. Because he was Non-RVSM I violated their airspace as soon as the clearance came out of my mouth. Maybe they did some quick coordination on my behalf I don't know. It was technically too late anyway.This was Day 4 of very complicated traffic. The sectors just behind the weather get overloaded every time and I'm sure that the Traffic Management Unit is making hundreds of little moves to help us it just doesn't seem to be enough. Asking those people to space such large in trail is unreasonable when you are working so hard just to keep them separated. It was compounded today because all of my rides were bad. One pilot going to JFK via due north routing over ROD was willing to turn due west for 20 miles to get lower. Also; ZID has an internal MOU that we do not have to APREQ wrong altitude for direction of flight. I have never liked this idea; as that rule is in place for a very good reason. Sector 96 was giving me two wrong for direction at 35000 feet; one of whom was in conflict with Aircraft X. Wrong for direction has saved me in weather situations before but it should be APREQ'd. Today people just climb them to the highest they can with little regard to if they will ever be able to get higher. They all end up stacked for the next controller to pull apart.I'm sure that there was another way to get Aircraft X down. Maybe if I had a spare 30 seconds to think about it none of this would have happened. If you watch it; you'll probably think 'why didn't you just…' All I can say is that there were a million thoughts and considerations going through my head and after 4 days of this; I did the best I could and still made a mistake. It is actually is bothering me quite a bit this afternoon. There is really nothing you can say. I will be back tomorrow morning and start the day with only two of us. I hope there is no weather.
ZID ARTCC Controller; working a busy sector with numerous weather deviations; didn't notice an aircraft was handed off to the wrong sector. The Controller descended the aircraft into another Controller's airspace without coordination.