OPERROR.

Narrative

THIS EVENT INVOLVES 3 ACFT. UGA Z IS A PA31/R AT 8000 FT; ENRTE RWI; BZM; SUG; AVL. UGA Y IS A C425/R LNDG HKY FROM DAN. UGA X IS A C425/R LNDG HKY FROM 7G2; BKW; HKY. THIS EVENT OCCURRED AT THE WILKES SECTOR 48 IN ATLANTA ARTCC. SECTOR 48 ENCOMPASSES AIRSPACE FROM THE GND TO 10000 FT. MSL IN THE GENERAL AREA OF HICKORY; NC (HKY). IT OCCURRED ON A THURSDAY; ONE OF THE BUSIEST DAYS OF THE WK. THE MAIDEN RADAR SITE WAS OTS FOR SCHEDULED MAINT. IT IS THE PRIMARY RADAR SITE FOR SECTOR 48. THIS LEFT SECTOR IS WITHOUT RADAR COVERAGE AT 8000 FT AND BELOW FOR MOST OF THE SECTOR. I WAS WORKING THE R-SIDE; WITH A D-SIDE AND TRACKER ASSIGNED TO THE SECTOR. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: AT XX42Z (ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE). X CHKED ON THE FREQ AT 10000 FT AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT HOLDING AT BZM DUE TO DEP TFC OFF OF HKY. AT XX46Z Y CHKED IN AT 11000 FT AND TOLD THE SAME. AT XX46Z X WAS CLRED TO HOLD AT BZM AND DSNDED TO 8000 FT AT XX47Z; Z CHKED IN AT 8000 FT WITHIN 5 SECONDS OF A DEP CHKING IN; OFF HKY. I DID NOT HEAR Z OR THE DEP CLRLY AND RESPONDED THAT 'I'M ABOUT 4 XMISSIONS BEHIND SO LET'S TAKE IT 1 AT A TIME.' I PROCEEDED TO ASK IF THE DEP WAS ONE OF THE ACFT THAT CALLED. IT WAS AND I CLRED THE DEP TO CLB TO 7000 FT. I CONTINUED WORKING OTHER ACFT IN THE SECTOR. DURING THIS TIME I WAS WORKING APPROX 10-15 ACFT INCLUDING; 2 DEPS OFF HKY; 3 'POP-UPS' TRYING TO GET IFR CLRNCS AS WELL AS THE 3 ACFT PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. AT XX55Z; X WAS DSNDED TO 6000 FT. AS SOON AS RPTED LEAVING 8000 FT; Y WAS DSNDED TO 8000 FT. AT XX55Z; X WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH TO HKY. AT XX56Z; Z RPTED OVER BZM AT 8000 FT. UNTIL THIS TIME I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF Z. I HEARD THE CALL BUT; AGAIN; DID NOT CATCH WHO IT WAS. I ASKED IF IT WAS X RPTING OVER BZM. X REPLIED NEGATIVE. I ASKED 'WHO'S RPTING OVER BZM.' Z REPLIED 'Z IS OVER BZM.' I LOOKED AT THE RADAR TO SEE WHO Z WAS. THERE WAS NO DATA BLOCK. I LOOKED AT THE STRIPS AND Z'S STRIP WAS ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY UP IN THE SECOND BAY OF STRIPS. THE STRIP SHOWED THE ACFT AT 8000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD Z TO SAY ALT. Z REPLIED 8000 FT. I LOOKED AT THE RADAR AND SAW Y 2 MI N OF BZM ENTERING HOLD; LEVEL AT 8000 FT. (THE DATA BLOCK ON Y WAS NOT IN COAST BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF THERE WAS A TARGET). I CLRED Y TO 'TURN L IMMEDIATELY; FLY HDG 360 DEGS. I ASKED X HIS ALT AND HE REPLIED LEAVING 6000 FT FOR 4000 FT. I DSNDED Y TO 7000 FT.