ZJX controller reported an airborne conflict occurred when a pilot descended for weather even though...

Attributes
ACN	1440882
Time
Date	201704
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZJX.ARTCC
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 2 Eng Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 20
Events
Anomaly	Airspace Violation All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence

Narrative:

Aircraft X was at 11;000 feet and asked for 12;000 feet to climb over weather. He wasn't able to level at 12;000 feet and asked to descend to 9;000 feet. Opposite direction traffic was level at 10;000 feet and was inside of tlh approach control. It was handed off to me and asking for a climb to 12;000 feet. The aircraft were head on and approximately 5 miles apart. Aircraft X leveled at 11;000 feet and demanded 9;000 feet for weather. I called traffic at 10;000 feet and head on.aircraft X advised he was descending without ATC clearance because of weather. I advised the aircraft X that he was either declaring a weather emergency or he was having a pilot deviation. Aircraft X declared he was 'deviating'. Separation was lost. Management said it was 0.0 lateral and 600 feet vertical. Aircraft X descended through traffic and into tlh approach. Tlh approach wanted to talk to the aircraft. I shipped him and waited for management to decide how to handle this error. They told me to read the aircraft the brasher warning which I did about 15 minutes later when tlh approach handed the aircraft off to me.later when I solicited a PIREP from the pilot of aircraft X; he said light rime ice and light turbulence during the time he descended through traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX Controller reported an airborne conflict occurred when a pilot descended for weather even though he had been advised of opposite direction traffic below it.

Narrative: Aircraft X was at 11;000 feet and asked for 12;000 feet to climb over weather. He wasn't able to level at 12;000 feet and asked to descend to 9;000 feet. Opposite direction traffic was level at 10;000 feet and was inside of TLH Approach Control. It was handed off to me and asking for a climb to 12;000 feet. The aircraft were head on and approximately 5 miles apart. Aircraft X leveled at 11;000 feet and demanded 9;000 feet for weather. I called traffic at 10;000 feet and head on.Aircraft X advised he was descending without ATC clearance because of weather. I advised the Aircraft X that he was either declaring a Weather Emergency or he was having a pilot deviation. Aircraft X declared he was 'deviating'. Separation was lost. Management said it was 0.0 lateral and 600 feet vertical. Aircraft X descended through traffic and into TLH approach. TLH approach wanted to talk to the aircraft. I shipped him and waited for management to decide how to handle this error. They told me to read the aircraft the Brasher warning which I did about 15 minutes later when TLH approach handed the aircraft off to me.Later when I solicited a PIREP from the pilot of Aircraft X; he said Light Rime Ice and Light Turbulence during the time he descended through traffic.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

ZJX controller reported an airborne conflict occurred when a pilot descended for weather even though he had been advised of opposite direction traffic below it.