Narrative:

Thunderstorms extended from north of tul, south of mlc, shutting down the fsm transition of the BUJ5 arrival into dfw. The lit transition was open with slight deviations north and south. Arrival push started with a restr on ZME to provide 10 mit. This was not accomplished. 5 airplanes into it, dfw approach required the meter program initiated, due to a lower arrival rate. This caused decod-hi sector to start holding immediately due to lengthy delays. 7 airplanes were cleared into holding FL240 to FL330 with FL310 open because of an overflt at FL310. There were 2 additional overflt at FL310 coming from the north in conflict, but they couldn't be moved because of the holding pattern and another overflt at FL350. Behind the holding pattern, there were 5 more arrs coming from lit, one at FL240, 3 at FL260, 1 at FL350. The one at FL350 wasn't talking to ATC and was merging with the overflt at FL350. The overflt couldn't climb because of aircraft limitations and couldn't descend because of traffic below it and wouldn't turn because of thunderstorms. The FL350 overflt was told of the situation and instructed to start turning regardless of how small. 1 min prior to loss of separation the arrival checked on and was turned and descended expeditiously. 2 arrs were forced below the pattern and the resumption of sequencing and peeling aircraft out of holding commenced. Frequency congestion was rampant, lack of airspace was a great hinderance, and the conflict of overflts was dangerous. Relief for the buj cornerpost was requested from dfw approach. They refused. Re-rtes for the overflts were requested from central flow. Not accomplished. 10 mi in-trail spacing on arrs from ZME was requested. Didn't receive it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX AND LACK OF FLOW CTL CAUSED SECTOR OVERLOAD.

Narrative: TSTMS EXTENDED FROM N OF TUL, S OF MLC, SHUTTING DOWN THE FSM TRANSITION OF THE BUJ5 ARR INTO DFW. THE LIT TRANSITION WAS OPEN WITH SLIGHT DEVS N AND S. ARR PUSH STARTED WITH A RESTR ON ZME TO PROVIDE 10 MIT. THIS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. 5 AIRPLANES INTO IT, DFW APCH REQUIRED THE METER PROGRAM INITIATED, DUE TO A LOWER ARR RATE. THIS CAUSED DECOD-HI SECTOR TO START HOLDING IMMEDIATELY DUE TO LENGTHY DELAYS. 7 AIRPLANES WERE CLRED INTO HOLDING FL240 TO FL330 WITH FL310 OPEN BECAUSE OF AN OVERFLT AT FL310. THERE WERE 2 ADDITIONAL OVERFLT AT FL310 COMING FROM THE N IN CONFLICT, BUT THEY COULDN'T BE MOVED BECAUSE OF THE HOLDING PATTERN AND ANOTHER OVERFLT AT FL350. BEHIND THE HOLDING PATTERN, THERE WERE 5 MORE ARRS COMING FROM LIT, ONE AT FL240, 3 AT FL260, 1 AT FL350. THE ONE AT FL350 WASN'T TALKING TO ATC AND WAS MERGING WITH THE OVERFLT AT FL350. THE OVERFLT COULDN'T CLB BECAUSE OF ACFT LIMITATIONS AND COULDN'T DSND BECAUSE OF TFC BELOW IT AND WOULDN'T TURN BECAUSE OF TSTMS. THE FL350 OVERFLT WAS TOLD OF THE SIT AND INSTRUCTED TO START TURNING REGARDLESS OF HOW SMALL. 1 MIN PRIOR TO LOSS OF SEPARATION THE ARR CHKED ON AND WAS TURNED AND DSNDED EXPEDITIOUSLY. 2 ARRS WERE FORCED BELOW THE PATTERN AND THE RESUMPTION OF SEQUENCING AND PEELING ACFT OUT OF HOLDING COMMENCED. FREQ CONGESTION WAS RAMPANT, LACK OF AIRSPACE WAS A GREAT HINDERANCE, AND THE CONFLICT OF OVERFLTS WAS DANGEROUS. RELIEF FOR THE BUJ CORNERPOST WAS REQUESTED FROM DFW APCH. THEY REFUSED. RE-RTES FOR THE OVERFLTS WERE REQUESTED FROM CENTRAL FLOW. NOT ACCOMPLISHED. 10 MI IN-TRAIL SPACING ON ARRS FROM ZME WAS REQUESTED. DIDN'T RECEIVE IT.

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.