2 RPTS FROM ARTCC RADAR CTLRS STATING THAT A SUPVR CTLR RECONFIGURED THE VSCS WITHOUT WARNING THE CTLRS. ONE ACR ACFT ENTERED AN ADJACENT ARTCC AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF AND THE OTHER CTLR HAD 2 ACFT JUST BARELY MISS WITH 5 MI SEPARATION AT THE SAME ALT. ALL COMS WERE OTS FOR 1-2 MINS. 1 CTLR INVOKED ARTICLE 65 PRIOR TO BEING RELIEVED FROM HIS POS.

Narrative

ACFT WERE DEVIATING FOR WX. THE VSCS WAS DECOMBINED INCORRECTLY JUST PRIOR TO ME ASSUMING THE POS. THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD ASKED FOR ARTICLE 65 TO BE INVOKED. ALL FREQS WERE LOST. WHEN THEY WERE RETURNED THE SECTOR WAS BEHIND. AN ACR GOT INTO ZMP WITHOUT A HDOF. THERE WERE OTHER SECTORS THAT WERE BEHIND AT THE TIME AND NOT CORRECTLY CONFIGURED. THIS ADDED TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYS. THIS WAS A TOTAL SYS BREAKDOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 376133: AN AREA SUPVR RECONFIGURED THE VSCS WITHOUT ASKING ANYBODY IF THEY WERE READY. I WAS WORKING 2 HIGH ALT SECTORS COMBINED WITH CONVECTIVE WX ACTIVITY IN 1 SECTOR. ACFT WERE DEVIATING AROUND THIS WX. I WAS WORKING APPROX A DOZEN ACFT. 2 ACRS AT FL350 WERE TIGHT. I WAS GOING TO ISSUE A TURN TO INSURE 5 MI SEPARATION. JUST AS I KEYED MY MIKE TO XMIT; ALL OF MY FREQS WENT OFF. I LOOKED AT THE AREA SUPVR AND HE WAS MAKING ENTRIES INTO THE COMPUTER TO RECONFIGURE THE VSCS TO THE DAYTIME CONFIGN. I TOLD HIM I LOST ALL MY FREQS; THAT I COULDN'T XMIT; AND THAT I NEEDED TO TURN AN ACFT. MY FREQS REMAINED OFF FOR APPROX 60 SECONDS. I GOT MY FREQS BACK JUST AS THE 1 ACR WAS BRUSHING THE 5 MI RING OF THE SECOND ACR. THE AREA SUPVR HAD NEVER COMMUNICATED HIS INTENTIONS TO RECONFIGURE THE VSCS TO ME. IF HE HAD DONE SO THIS SIT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED.