Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 26
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Human Factors; Procedure
Denver Sector X handed us off two aircraft at the same altitude on collision courses at FL350 with no positive separation ensured. Aircraft X checked on at FL350 south east bound. The aircraft that was slightly behind at FL350; Aircraft Y; was not on our frequency and he needed to be turned to avoid loss of separation. We reached out to Denver Sector Y to instruct him to turn Aircraft Y to the left (apparently Denver X took a point out) and Denver Y said he was no longer talking to that aircraft. We broadcasted in the blind for Aircraft Y. We had to turn Aircraft Y while still in Denver Center's airspace to ensure separation! Without the turn Aircraft Y would have lost separation one minute inside our airspace! This is a daily occurrence that has been going on for 30 plus years but seldom gets reported because of a lack of safety culture.
ZMP Controller reported an unsafe situation when Denver Center handed off two aircraft on a collision course.