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Controller at ZKC takes sector loaded with traffic due numerous WX diverting aircraft. No apparent flow control in effect with the sector in a chaotic state.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 405268 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zkc |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme artcc : zkc tower : dfw |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 405268 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 405269 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On jun/xa/98, I came in for the shift to 6 bays of strips with absolutely no flow restrs coming into sector 14 at ZKC. Aircraft were deviating for WX at least 40 data blocks in the sector. I witnessed a complete breakdown of air traffic system with the volume of aircraft entering my area. Aircraft were talking over each other. No one was on the correct rtes. We shut ZME off which resulted in 2 aircraft incidents. Several pointouts not made to us. I feel it was the most dangerous event I've ever witnessed in 13 yrs of air traffic. The contributing factor was that no flow restrs were placed on aircraft. All east coast traffic was given fam-stl-vhp or vhp-stl-fam to avoid WX. Conflict alert activated several times to alert us to an imminent situation. Staffing was not adequate to handle the volume and sectors were combined.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR AT ZKC TAKES SECTOR LOADED WITH TFC DUE NUMEROUS WX DIVERTING ACFT. NO APPARENT FLOW CTL IN EFFECT WITH THE SECTOR IN A CHAOTIC STATE.
Narrative: ON JUN/XA/98, I CAME IN FOR THE SHIFT TO 6 BAYS OF STRIPS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO FLOW RESTRS COMING INTO SECTOR 14 AT ZKC. ACFT WERE DEVIATING FOR WX AT LEAST 40 DATA BLOCKS IN THE SECTOR. I WITNESSED A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF AIR TFC SYS WITH THE VOLUME OF ACFT ENTERING MY AREA. ACFT WERE TALKING OVER EACH OTHER. NO ONE WAS ON THE CORRECT RTES. WE SHUT ZME OFF WHICH RESULTED IN 2 ACFT INCIDENTS. SEVERAL POINTOUTS NOT MADE TO US. I FEEL IT WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS EVENT I'VE EVER WITNESSED IN 13 YRS OF AIR TFC. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT NO FLOW RESTRS WERE PLACED ON ACFT. ALL EAST COAST TFC WAS GIVEN FAM-STL-VHP OR VHP-STL-FAM TO AVOID WX. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED SEVERAL TIMES TO ALERT US TO AN IMMINENT SIT. STAFFING WAS NOT ADEQUATE TO HANDLE THE VOLUME AND SECTORS WERE COMBINED.
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.