Date: 201308
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Aircraft: Challenger 300
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Confusion; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
Primary problem: Staffing

Narrative: Challenger 300 was an aircraft on an IFR flight plan at FL450 in level flight. My complexity was higher than normal due to weather deviations and the controller next to me was having an issue with a flight plan. I tried to use the shout line to call Center X to request control on an aircraft needing to deviate. The Center Controller didn't answer. I waited until the aircraft was inside my sector and gave the deviation clearance. A few minutes later; I forced a data block on Challenger 300 to Center Y which is the high altitude sector owning FL380 and above. It's located above Center Z and Center X. I noticed the data block was redirected to Center X. I assumed the Center sectors were combined up for the midnight shift which combines at Center X using Center X's frequency. I again tried to call Center X for a point out on the Challenger 300; which was going to fly within 2.5 miles of the Center Y's airspace. They didn't answer. Then they called me on a flight that [the neighboring Center] U (the airspace below me) was controlling. I said I didn't know what aircraft he was talking about. He said never mind and hung up as I was trying to point out the Challenger 300. He came back on the line and said he didn't know who I was talking about. I tried to give a position but didn't hear a reply. I hung up and heard someone say over the speaker that Center Y was closed. At this point I had three aircraft trying to talk to me and a red alert I needed to fix. I told my Supervisor my situation and he advised I call Center W (the receiving sector) and ask them to take care of the point out. I didn't have time to make the call and a minute later the Challenger 300 violated Center Y. A few minutes later when I caught back up in my sector; I realized what happened. I assumed they were combined up for the midnight shift; but when I forced the datablock to Center Y I forgot about a fix posting area above Center Z named Center V. Had I forced the data block to Center V it would've redirected to Center Z and I would've called them for the point out. I realize the Center Controllers were busy but I feel a contributing factor to my situation was their lack of answering my shout line calls and not calling me to describe their airspace configuration. I believe the situation of the Center Controllers being too busy to take phone calls is a symptom of only having two people working the midnight shift. It's a potentially dangerous protocol having emergency minimum staffing when both controllers are fighting fatigue. And; if one calls in sick or is in a car crash on the way to work there would not be sufficient staffing to cover the whole shift. In this case; if a third controller was staffed for their midnight shift they would've had a better chance to deal with their traffic load. I also think the airspace reconfiguration at night is confusing not only in Center but also in [the neighboring Center]. The confusion is compounded when there are no coordination calls to describe the specific configuration. I'm usually very insistent on flashing data blocks to the correct sector; and at the time I thought I had when I PVD'd the data block to Center Y; yet I forgot about sector Center V which we rarely see being used in a normal sector configuration.




Synopsis: Enroute Controller experienced an airspace infraction when uncertain of an adjacent facilities airspace/sector configuration; the reporter stated staffing was a contributing factor.