Controller complains about too many aircraft in the system due to inadequate flow control.

Attributes
ACN	122200
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 20
ASRS Report	122200
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

At approximately XX00L, the entire south area at ZAU was severely impacted with WX. We were saturated with deviating aircraft. We were working ord arrs that had to cross the departure corridor. Both sectors were on the edge of going out of control. Our area supervisor decided to go to the flow controller and have the southbound departures shut off until the traffic stabilized. Our supervisor was told by the tmo 'no.' he said ord was getting too backed up with planes waiting to depart. The tmo was more concerned with planes sitting safely on the ground at ord than he was with the safety of aircraft in the air in our own facility. This same situation has happened on other occasions as well, to other controllers, and in other area within this facility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT TOO MANY ACFT IN THE SYSTEM DUE TO INADEQUATE FLOW CTL.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX00L, THE ENTIRE S AREA AT ZAU WAS SEVERELY IMPACTED WITH WX. WE WERE SATURATED WITH DEVIATING ACFT. WE WERE WORKING ORD ARRS THAT HAD TO CROSS THE DEP CORRIDOR. BOTH SECTORS WERE ON THE EDGE OF GOING OUT OF CTL. OUR AREA SUPVR DECIDED TO GO TO THE FLOW CTLR AND HAVE THE SBND DEPS SHUT OFF UNTIL THE TFC STABILIZED. OUR SUPVR WAS TOLD BY THE TMO 'NO.' HE SAID ORD WAS GETTING TOO BACKED UP WITH PLANES WAITING TO DEPART. THE TMO WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH PLANES SITTING SAFELY ON THE GND AT ORD THAN HE WAS WITH THE SAFETY OF ACFT IN THE AIR IN OUR OWN FAC. THIS SAME SITUATION HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER OCCASIONS AS WELL, TO OTHER CTLRS, AND IN OTHER AREA WITHIN THIS FAC.

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.