Narrative:

The area was filled with thunderstorms. The problem was departures were airborne off hopkins and secondary airports, but refused to turn onto the standard departure routes. What snowballs the situation is the center's refusal to answer landlines. I'm trying to communication with them with no luck and aircraft are close to leaving my airspace. Air carrier X tried to communication with the center but had no luck and returned to my frequency. He couldn't get a word in because I was so busy with other aircraft. Cga Y was going to trail air carrier X. However, air carrier X turned south on his own without telling me or the center of his intentions. Cga Y was nnwbound and now head on with air carrier X. I was so excited I told cga Y to descend to 11,000, but he was already at that altitude. I told him to turn, but he turned so slow because he was going 350-400 KTS. Then I said descend immediately, traffic an air carrier at 12 O'clock, 2 mi, head on descend now. He dropped 2800' in one sweep of the scope. Air carrier X came on frequency and I asked him who gave him permission to turn to the south? He stated he wasn't going to fly through a thunderstorm. But the whole problem is the center's lack of staff to answer all landlines at critical times. If you can get more people, good luck!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN AN ATTEMPT TO FLY AROUND TSTM ACTIVITY, ACR X TURNED ON HIS OWN AND CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: THE AREA WAS FILLED WITH TSTMS. THE PROBLEM WAS DEPS WERE AIRBORNE OFF HOPKINS AND SECONDARY ARPTS, BUT REFUSED TO TURN ONTO THE STANDARD DEP ROUTES. WHAT SNOWBALLS THE SITUATION IS THE CENTER'S REFUSAL TO ANSWER LANDLINES. I'M TRYING TO COM WITH THEM WITH NO LUCK AND ACFT ARE CLOSE TO LEAVING MY AIRSPACE. ACR X TRIED TO COM WITH THE CENTER BUT HAD NO LUCK AND RETURNED TO MY FREQ. HE COULDN'T GET A WORD IN BECAUSE I WAS SO BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT. CGA Y WAS GOING TO TRAIL ACR X. HOWEVER, ACR X TURNED SOUTH ON HIS OWN WITHOUT TELLING ME OR THE CENTER OF HIS INTENTIONS. CGA Y WAS NNWBOUND AND NOW HEAD ON WITH ACR X. I WAS SO EXCITED I TOLD CGA Y TO DSND TO 11,000, BUT HE WAS ALREADY AT THAT ALT. I TOLD HIM TO TURN, BUT HE TURNED SO SLOW BECAUSE HE WAS GOING 350-400 KTS. THEN I SAID DSND IMMEDIATELY, TFC AN ACR AT 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI, HEAD ON DSND NOW. HE DROPPED 2800' IN ONE SWEEP OF THE SCOPE. ACR X CAME ON FREQ AND I ASKED HIM WHO GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO TURN TO THE SOUTH? HE STATED HE WASN'T GOING TO FLY THROUGH A TSTM. BUT THE WHOLE PROBLEM IS THE CENTER'S LACK OF STAFF TO ANSWER ALL LANDLINES AT CRITICAL TIMES. IF YOU CAN GET MORE PEOPLE, GOOD LUCK!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.