Date: 201207
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Second aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Approach; Departure
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: Approach; Departure
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was working Departure Control position. There was weather affecting our normal departure routes to the west. I had 2 routes available to me (normally 4); and they had a 10 miles in-trail restrictions on them. MD80 departed a 160 degree heading and climbing to 10;000 FT. When he was about 7 miles south I turned him east (090 heading). At that point he informed me he was having aircraft issues and wanted to level at a lower altitude because he might need to return to land as an In-Flight-Emergency. I stopped him at 6;000 FT because of traffic. I displayed the aircraft tag to the Feeder positions; so they would be aware he was going to stay at 6;000 FT and possibly return to land. I leaned over to the adjacent controller and pointed the aircraft out since I was about to enter his airspace. I continued working the other departures and coordinated with another position for a hand off. As I turned the MD80 north to return; he informed me he had a B737 in sight. At that point I noticed the DR3 Controller had climbed the B737 through the altitude of the MD80 at 6;000 FT. I told the MD80 to maintain visual separation from the B737. By then separation was lost. The B737 was a departure off an adjacent airport being controlled by DR2/3; heading 130 and climbing to 5;000 FT. DR 2/3 is suppose to stay at 5;000 FT and only climb when clear of DR1's traffic. The procedure is in place to separate DR1 traffic from DR2/3 traffic works today. The DR2/3 Controller just needs to observe DR1's traffic before climbing out of 5;000 FT.


Second narrative: A MD80 departed the Class B airport and was being worked by DR1. He indicated he had a problem and needed to return to the airport. DR1 stopped his climb at 6;000 FT and proceeded to vector the aircraft back toward the airport. I had no idea that any of this was taking place as I was busy with other traffic. A B737 departed another nearby airport heading 130 and I climbed them to 7;000 FT or higher (can't remember). I turned the B737 to heading 180; but had DR1's aircraft kept climbing it would not have been a factor. The next thing I noticed is the B737 at 6;800 FT and the MD80 at 6;000 FT. The DR1 Controller never communicated to me that the MD80 needed to come back or was stopping his climb. He was just vectoring the aircraft back toward the airport. The DR1 controller needed to communicate the intentions of the aircraft. I needed to pay better attention to their traffic.


Synopsis: TRACON Controller described a conflict event involving an air carrier returning to the departure airport due to equipment problems and an air carrier departure from an adjacent airport. Failed internal communications were indicated as the causal factor.