Narrative:

Due to thunderstorm activity in dfw area, traffic into dfw began backing up. We were instructed to hold on the sat 90 degree radial, east, with 20 mi legs. The controller was harried and extremely busy with aircraft diverting to their alternates, holding and executing 360 degree turns and very slow to respond to radio inquiries from aircraft. An air carrier flight called him 6 times before he responded. I gave aircraft control to the first officer who initiated holding in a standard pattern over san antonio VOR at FL350 while I initiated a phone patch to our system control to advise them of our holding with an XA20Z efc time. At the completion of the first outbound leg, the first officer initiated a turn to the right, back inbound in the pattern. While in the turn with the DME indicating approximately 22-23 mi, we received a TCASII warning (RA), 'descend, descend, now' with the green portion of the TCASII approximately indicated at 2000 FPM down. My first officer responded promptly to the RA and initiated a rapid descent until the warning ceased at FL340. I observed the target on the TCASII about this time, looked out at my 10 O'clock position to see an aircraft above us and appeared to be turning to the right. We advised ZHU of the TCASII warning and of our descent to FL340. Supplemental information from acn 334104: while level cruise altitude FL350, ATC issued instruction for an immediate right turn to 360 degrees. While in the turn we noticed what appeared to be an MD80 turning south and descending, approximately 5 mi at our 12 O'clock position. Our TCASII was not working and placarded inoperative. It became clear that we had penetrated the upper level of a holding pattern on our assigned route and altitude. The controller obviously was overloaded prior to our reaching his airspace. Supplemental information from acn 334112: a line of severe thunderstorms caused rerouting of all aircraft to dfw terminal area via sat-jct-bwd-aqn. ZFW had implemented 10 mi in trail to dfw terminal area. At XA40 fort worth called and advised ZHU to hold all aircraft destined dfw terminal area. We were working approximately 20 aircraft, of which approximately 15 were destined dfw. The radar controller initiated holding instructions to some of the aircraft and I initiated coordination to set up holding for aircraft entering or in the adjacent controller's airspace. A period of chaotic events followed caused by the radar controller and I attempting to establish holding fixes and altitude separation for the numerous aircraft. Air carrier X, a DC9 was issued holding instructions at sat. Air carrier Y, an aircraft en route to a destination other than dfw entered the holding pattern airspace of air carrier X. The radar controller initiated a clearance to air carrier X to fly heading 180 degrees, but received no response. Finally air carrier X called and stated responding to a TCASII alert, descending. A situation arose under which it became extremely difficult to separate and hold aircraft that had previously been in trail and now had to reverse course into other aircraft at the same altitude. Supplemental information from acn 334199: an overflt aircraft was at the same altitude as one holding and overflying the same fix that the other aircraft was holding at. Controller working handoff position noticed aircraft in conflict. Aircraft holding was told to fly heading 180 degrees with no response. Overflt aircraft told to fly heading 360 degrees. Aircraft holding told to turn to 180 degrees with no response. There was traffic below these two at FL330 so a descent was not possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT IN HOLDING DUE TO WX AND HVY TFC FLOW IS OVERTAKEN BY ANOTHER ACR AT THE SAME ALT. CTLR INITIATED IMMEDIATE VECTORS TO BOTH ACFT, HOWEVER, THE ACFT IN HOLDING DID NOT RESPOND RESULTING IN LTSS.

Narrative: DUE TO TSTM ACTIVITY IN DFW AREA, TFC INTO DFW BEGAN BACKING UP. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD ON THE SAT 90 DEG RADIAL, E, WITH 20 MI LEGS. THE CTLR WAS HARRIED AND EXTREMELY BUSY WITH ACFT DIVERTING TO THEIR ALTERNATES, HOLDING AND EXECUTING 360 DEG TURNS AND VERY SLOW TO RESPOND TO RADIO INQUIRIES FROM ACFT. AN ACR FLT CALLED HIM 6 TIMES BEFORE HE RESPONDED. I GAVE ACFT CTL TO THE FO WHO INITIATED HOLDING IN A STANDARD PATTERN OVER SAN ANTONIO VOR AT FL350 WHILE I INITIATED A PHONE PATCH TO OUR SYS CTL TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR HOLDING WITH AN XA20Z EFC TIME. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST OUTBOUND LEG, THE FO INITIATED A TURN TO THE R, BACK INBOUND IN THE PATTERN. WHILE IN THE TURN WITH THE DME INDICATING APPROX 22-23 MI, WE RECEIVED A TCASII WARNING (RA), 'DSND, DSND, NOW' WITH THE GREEN PORTION OF THE TCASII APPROX INDICATED AT 2000 FPM DOWN. MY FO RESPONDED PROMPTLY TO THE RA AND INITIATED A RAPID DSCNT UNTIL THE WARNING CEASED AT FL340. I OBSERVED THE TARGET ON THE TCASII ABOUT THIS TIME, LOOKED OUT AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS TO SEE AN ACFT ABOVE US AND APPEARED TO BE TURNING TO THE R. WE ADVISED ZHU OF THE TCASII WARNING AND OF OUR DSCNT TO FL340. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334104: WHILE LEVEL CRUISE ALT FL350, ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 360 DEGS. WHILE IN THE TURN WE NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN MD80 TURNING S AND DSNDING, APPROX 5 MI AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. OUR TCASII WAS NOT WORKING AND PLACARDED INOP. IT BECAME CLR THAT WE HAD PENETRATED THE UPPER LEVEL OF A HOLDING PATTERN ON OUR ASSIGNED RTE AND ALT. THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY WAS OVERLOADED PRIOR TO OUR REACHING HIS AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334112: A LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS CAUSED REROUTING OF ALL ACFT TO DFW TERMINAL AREA VIA SAT-JCT-BWD-AQN. ZFW HAD IMPLEMENTED 10 MI IN TRAIL TO DFW TERMINAL AREA. AT XA40 FORT WORTH CALLED AND ADVISED ZHU TO HOLD ALL ACFT DESTINED DFW TERMINAL AREA. WE WERE WORKING APPROX 20 ACFT, OF WHICH APPROX 15 WERE DESTINED DFW. THE RADAR CTLR INITIATED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS TO SOME OF THE ACFT AND I INITIATED COORD TO SET UP HOLDING FOR ACFT ENTERING OR IN THE ADJACENT CTLR'S AIRSPACE. A PERIOD OF CHAOTIC EVENTS FOLLOWED CAUSED BY THE RADAR CTLR AND I ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH HOLDING FIXES AND ALT SEPARATION FOR THE NUMEROUS ACFT. ACR X, A DC9 WAS ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT SAT. ACR Y, AN ACFT ENRTE TO A DEST OTHER THAN DFW ENTERED THE HOLDING PATTERN AIRSPACE OF ACR X. THE RADAR CTLR INITIATED A CLRNC TO ACR X TO FLY HDG 180 DEGS, BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. FINALLY ACR X CALLED AND STATED RESPONDING TO A TCASII ALERT, DSNDING. A SIT AROSE UNDER WHICH IT BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE AND HOLD ACFT THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN TRAIL AND NOW HAD TO REVERSE COURSE INTO OTHER ACFT AT THE SAME ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334199: AN OVERFLT ACFT WAS AT THE SAME ALT AS ONE HOLDING AND OVERFLYING THE SAME FIX THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS HOLDING AT. CTLR WORKING HDOF POS NOTICED ACFT IN CONFLICT. ACFT HOLDING WAS TOLD TO FLY HDG 180 DEGS WITH NO RESPONSE. OVERFLT ACFT TOLD TO FLY HDG 360 DEGS. ACFT HOLDING TOLD TO TURN TO 180 DEGS WITH NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS TFC BELOW THESE TWO AT FL330 SO A DSCNT WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

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.