Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Radar 29
Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Human Factors
During a very busy and complex traffic period I issued an air carrier a descent clearance to get below traffic and land at ZZZ. At the time that I issued the clearance it appeared that I had lateral separation and that there was enough room for the air carrier to descend from FL370 through a business jet at FL360. The sector was too busy for me to go back and reassess the descent rate and the lateral separation. My D-side and I were extremely busy and did not use these tools; the polygon/Halo. The frequency was extremely congested with two sectors being combined. My D-side was extremely busy keeping up with manual coordination and hand-offs to and from a foreign facility; dealing with ADE and verifying all the redundant information with multiple duplicated information. I was busy separating and controlling numerous other situations and missed this one conflict. The Center NAS Monitors displayed the Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) was red for at least 30 minutes and I had over 21 Data blocks and over 25 aircraft on frequency. My D-side had a page and half on the En Route Information Display System (ERIDS) and a bay full of strips as well as a stack on the printer.I would recommend;A. Improve Automated Data Exchange (ADE) and ICAO flight plan filing to reduce the workload of sectors dealing with ADE. Having to verify numerous accounts of inaccurate; duplicate or erroneous information during peak traffic; put an insurmountable amount of extra workload on sectors dealing with ADE.B. The Supervisor should walk around the sectors and observe the volume on the ERIDS; the number of strips in the bay and coming off the printer and not just rely on the Center NAS Monitors; and Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) displays. The sectors should be split early enough to reduce frequency congestion during peak traffic which allows for a smaller range on the radar display; so you can see closely all traffic situations.C. Distribute the workload and complexity.D. Reduce the coordination for the D-side. Assign an A-side assistant to help the D-side so the D-side can assist the R-side and not have all the down time coordinating and stuffing strips; and dealing with ADE issues. Assign a tracker to assist the R-side.
ZMA Center Controller descended aircraft in too close proximity of another aircraft due to the fact that he thought he would have lateral separation. Sector was busy and Controller did not have time to re-check the separation.