Narrative:

Thunderstorms were present west of the bpr and aqn arrival fixes for traffic landing in dfw terminal area. These storms were moving toward the east. Bpr had been 'closed' and traffic was rted ink...sjt...aqn. These aircraft were the usual arrs from the west and, I suspect, some others routed south of their usual route for traffic. My data man and I noticed a very large number of flight progress strips on the sector to the south of us (near midland, tx). We asked tmu (through our supervisor) whether a particular air carrier company flight (which had recently departed lbb for dal over bpr) was able to fly over or near bpr. We were told another aircraft was going to 'try it.' we were told that company would always make it but they wanted to check with another airline. We observed numerous aircraft in and converging on the sector south of us. We thought air carrier X (who was east of roswell, NM) could be easily routed over bpr if that route was acceptable. My data man could not see our supervisor at that moment so he contacted tmu directly. He advised them that wink high (the sector to the south) was extremely busy. This was evidently news to tmu. The data man advised him that we could work air carrier X (and some others nearby) over bpr. Tmu's response was, 'who?' the data man was told to 'hold on a min' or words to that effect. He tired of waiting after at least a min with no response so he hung up and coordinated elsewhere. Within 2 to 4 mins (a 'guesstimate' as I am completing this form 1 day later) we were advised that all of the traffic in wink high would be coming to us heading 350 degrees. What ensued was 'controled pandemonium.' as soon as we'd set up a sequence (sps...bpr.boids 2), more aircraft were handed off in conflict with those in the sequence. Then the route was changed to direct bpr. Boids 2, then to heading 050 degrees with vectors. Please excuse the lack of specifics. Suffice it to say there appeared to be no plan whatsoever.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC INTERFAC COORD LED TO IMPROPER FLOW CTL CAUSING SECTOR OVERLOAD.

Narrative: TSTMS WERE PRESENT W OF THE BPR AND AQN ARR FIXES FOR TFC LNDG IN DFW TERMINAL AREA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE E. BPR HAD BEEN 'CLOSED' AND TFC WAS RTED INK...SJT...AQN. THESE ACFT WERE THE USUAL ARRS FROM THE W AND, I SUSPECT, SOME OTHERS ROUTED S OF THEIR USUAL RTE FOR TFC. MY DATA MAN AND I NOTICED A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF FLT PROGRESS STRIPS ON THE SECTOR TO THE S OF US (NEAR MIDLAND, TX). WE ASKED TMU (THROUGH OUR SUPVR) WHETHER A PARTICULAR ACR COMPANY FLT (WHICH HAD RECENTLY DEPARTED LBB FOR DAL OVER BPR) WAS ABLE TO FLY OVER OR NEAR BPR. WE WERE TOLD ANOTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO 'TRY IT.' WE WERE TOLD THAT COMPANY WOULD ALWAYS MAKE IT BUT THEY WANTED TO CHK WITH ANOTHER AIRLINE. WE OBSERVED NUMEROUS ACFT IN AND CONVERGING ON THE SECTOR S OF US. WE THOUGHT ACR X (WHO WAS E OF ROSWELL, NM) COULD BE EASILY ROUTED OVER BPR IF THAT RTE WAS ACCEPTABLE. MY DATA MAN COULD NOT SEE OUR SUPVR AT THAT MOMENT SO HE CONTACTED TMU DIRECTLY. HE ADVISED THEM THAT WINK HIGH (THE SECTOR TO THE S) WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. THIS WAS EVIDENTLY NEWS TO TMU. THE DATA MAN ADVISED HIM THAT WE COULD WORK ACR X (AND SOME OTHERS NEARBY) OVER BPR. TMU'S RESPONSE WAS, 'WHO?' THE DATA MAN WAS TOLD TO 'HOLD ON A MIN' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. HE TIRED OF WAITING AFTER AT LEAST A MIN WITH NO RESPONSE SO HE HUNG UP AND COORDINATED ELSEWHERE. WITHIN 2 TO 4 MINS (A 'GUESSTIMATE' AS I AM COMPLETING THIS FORM 1 DAY LATER) WE WERE ADVISED THAT ALL OF THE TFC IN WINK HIGH WOULD BE COMING TO US HDG 350 DEGS. WHAT ENSUED WAS 'CTLED PANDEMONIUM.' AS SOON AS WE'D SET UP A SEQUENCE (SPS...BPR.BOIDS 2), MORE ACFT WERE HANDED OFF IN CONFLICT WITH THOSE IN THE SEQUENCE. THEN THE RTE WAS CHANGED TO DIRECT BPR. BOIDS 2, THEN TO HDG 050 DEGS WITH VECTORS. PLEASE EXCUSE THE LACK OF SPECIFICS. SUFFICE IT TO SAY THERE APPEARED TO BE NO PLAN WHATSOEVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.