ZAB CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 14000 WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY VISUAL SEPARATION BETWEEN AN ARR AND DEP ACFT FROM SAF.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING SECTOR 16 AT ZAB. I WAS WORKING ACFT X (BE90) INBOUND TO SAF FROM THE N FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I ALSO HAD A G5 INBOUND FROM THE S ON A VISUAL APCH INTO SAF. MY D-SIDE HAD CLRED A GOLDEN EAGLE OFF SAF NBOUND CLBING TO 16000 FT AND I HAD CLRED ACFT X TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. UPON SEEING THE DEP IN RADAR I ATTEMPTED TO TURN BOTH ACFT AND KEEP THEM CLBING. I REEVALUATED THE SITUATION AND STOPPED ACFT X AT 14000 FT AND STOPPED THE GOLDEN EAGLE AT 13000 FT. I CALLED TFC TO BOTH ACFT AT ABOUT 7 MI AND 4000 FT APART. A FEW MINS LATER ACFT X RPTED THE TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK POS; I THEN CLRED ACFT X TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND THE GOLDEN EAGLE TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230. ACFT X THEN SAID HE NEEDED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TO LOSE SOME ALT. I ASKED IF HE WANTED TO MAKE A L OR R 360 DEGS; HE RESPONDED WITH A L 360 DEGS. I AGAIN STATED FOR ACFT X TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE GOLDEN EAGLE; HE RESPONDED WITH A 'ROGER.' I WAS ATTEMPTING TO USE DIVERGING TFC PROCS WHEN ACFT X'S XMISSION CAME IN SCRATCHY AND SLIGHTLY GARBLED. I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TFC PASSING CALL AND CLRED ACFT X FOR LOWER.