Narrative:

I was working fzt hi sector 89, a high altitude sector at ZFW that primarily sequences arrs for dfw area. WX had been in area all day long. WX was displayed by center radar. Supervision had been advised WX was building east. A dfw departure takes off south and then makes a 90 degree left turn, head-on with all my arrs. I had to get lower for 1 aircraft and spin another aircraft to miss departure. The aircraft that spun had traffic about 40 mi behind that became traffic. A couple of eastbound departures deviated south into sector. 2 dfw arrs off of iah came into sector, 1 without handoff. Supervisor had directed flow control to take iah departures over another corner post. However, this was not done and these 2 had to be sequenced in what was already a complex situation. Aircraft were starting to deviate around WX after having been turned out for spacing and then turned back in. Then some sectors around me started spinning aircraft because I was overloaded. 2 more aircraft from ZHU arrived from south america. They were too high and too close together and added additional complexity to sector. When they got turned in, a target jump set off the 'snitch patch' and a preliminary investigation was made. It was determined that there was 5 mi (legal separation). I believe that the situation was foreseeable and that actions should have been taken to help in preventing a sector from getting close to unsafe. Flow control sat on their hands and seemed to do nothing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the supervisor had approved the 2 foreign air carrier's into the sector and had informed the reporter but the reporter didn't remember. Reporter informed supervisor to shut off all traffic to the sector and the supervisor complied.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLOW CTL ALLOWED SECTOR OVERLOAD.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING FZT HI SECTOR 89, A HIGH ALT SECTOR AT ZFW THAT PRIMARILY SEQUENCES ARRS FOR DFW AREA. WX HAD BEEN IN AREA ALL DAY LONG. WX WAS DISPLAYED BY CTR RADAR. SUPERVISION HAD BEEN ADVISED WX WAS BUILDING E. A DFW DEP TAKES OFF S AND THEN MAKES A 90 DEG L TURN, HEAD-ON WITH ALL MY ARRS. I HAD TO GET LOWER FOR 1 ACFT AND SPIN ANOTHER ACFT TO MISS DEP. THE ACFT THAT SPUN HAD TFC ABOUT 40 MI BEHIND THAT BECAME TFC. A COUPLE OF EBOUND DEPS DEVIATED S INTO SECTOR. 2 DFW ARRS OFF OF IAH CAME INTO SECTOR, 1 WITHOUT HDOF. SUPVR HAD DIRECTED FLOW CTL TO TAKE IAH DEPS OVER ANOTHER CORNER POST. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT DONE AND THESE 2 HAD TO BE SEQUENCED IN WHAT WAS ALREADY A COMPLEX SIT. ACFT WERE STARTING TO DEVIATE AROUND WX AFTER HAVING BEEN TURNED OUT FOR SPACING AND THEN TURNED BACK IN. THEN SOME SECTORS AROUND ME STARTED SPINNING ACFT BECAUSE I WAS OVERLOADED. 2 MORE ACFT FROM ZHU ARRIVED FROM SOUTH AMERICA. THEY WERE TOO HIGH AND TOO CLOSE TOGETHER AND ADDED ADDITIONAL COMPLEXITY TO SECTOR. WHEN THEY GOT TURNED IN, A TARGET JUMP SET OFF THE 'SNITCH PATCH' AND A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION WAS MADE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS 5 MI (LEGAL SEPARATION). I BELIEVE THAT THE SIT WAS FORESEEABLE AND THAT ACTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO HELP IN PREVENTING A SECTOR FROM GETTING CLOSE TO UNSAFE. FLOW CTL SAT ON THEIR HANDS AND SEEMED TO DO NOTHING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE SUPVR HAD APPROVED THE 2 FOREIGN ACR'S INTO THE SECTOR AND HAD INFORMED THE RPTR BUT THE RPTR DIDN'T REMEMBER. RPTR INFORMED SUPVR TO SHUT OFF ALL TFC TO THE SECTOR AND THE SUPVR COMPLIED.

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.