Narrative:

During this time frame of several hours, ZTL tmu issued a WX rerte for aircraft landing iah. The issued routing was sji.hrv.crp.ela. GLAND7.iah. The problem was WX over sji and crp. Every aircraft began questioning this routing into the WX. Many aircraft said their dispatch wanted them on a different routing because of the WX at sji and crp. We asked tmu numerous times to look at the routing and the WX and please come up with a better rerte. They did not. We were told again and again that the aircraft were to be issued this routing. We were also told that the route came from central flow and there was nothing ZTL tmu could do. During an extremely busy period, traffic in my sector was greatly increased due to this rerte. No regard was shown to the effect this was having on my sector. The frequency was extremely congested with aircraft questioning the rerte and request for new rtes and/or deviations. No relief was ever given by supervision of tmu, despite our pleas. In my opinion, the indifference shown to the controllers and the aircraft created an unnecessary and dangerous situation. This rerte caused each aircraft to go directly into the WX, not around the WX. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the tmu was advised numerous times by several sectors that aircraft were concerned about the WX on the rerte. Reporter said the controllers were instructed to do what they were told, that the command center had the big picture and knew what they were doing. After the shift the reporter said she decided to file a NASA safety report. The report forms are kept at supervisor's desk and provided on request. The supervisor apparently asked the reporter why she was filing a report. The reporter said other controllers would have filed a report on the problems with the tmu but felt intimidated asking the supervisor for a form.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL TMU ISSUED A WX RERTE TO TFC LNDG IAH THAT PUT ACFT MORE DIRECTLY IN WX.

Narrative: DURING THIS TIME FRAME OF SEVERAL HRS, ZTL TMU ISSUED A WX RERTE FOR ACFT LNDG IAH. THE ISSUED ROUTING WAS SJI.HRV.CRP.ELA. GLAND7.IAH. THE PROB WAS WX OVER SJI AND CRP. EVERY ACFT BEGAN QUESTIONING THIS ROUTING INTO THE WX. MANY ACFT SAID THEIR DISPATCH WANTED THEM ON A DIFFERENT ROUTING BECAUSE OF THE WX AT SJI AND CRP. WE ASKED TMU NUMEROUS TIMES TO LOOK AT THE ROUTING AND THE WX AND PLEASE COME UP WITH A BETTER RERTE. THEY DID NOT. WE WERE TOLD AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT THE ACFT WERE TO BE ISSUED THIS ROUTING. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THE RTE CAME FROM CENTRAL FLOW AND THERE WAS NOTHING ZTL TMU COULD DO. DURING AN EXTREMELY BUSY PERIOD, TFC IN MY SECTOR WAS GREATLY INCREASED DUE TO THIS RERTE. NO REGARD WAS SHOWN TO THE EFFECT THIS WAS HAVING ON MY SECTOR. THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED WITH ACFT QUESTIONING THE RERTE AND REQUEST FOR NEW RTES AND/OR DEVS. NO RELIEF WAS EVER GIVEN BY SUPERVISION OF TMU, DESPITE OUR PLEAS. IN MY OPINION, THE INDIFFERENCE SHOWN TO THE CTLRS AND THE ACFT CREATED AN UNNECESSARY AND DANGEROUS SIT. THIS RERTE CAUSED EACH ACFT TO GO DIRECTLY INTO THE WX, NOT AROUND THE WX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TMU WAS ADVISED NUMEROUS TIMES BY SEVERAL SECTORS THAT ACFT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WX ON THE RERTE. RPTR SAID THE CTLRS WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO WHAT THEY WERE TOLD, THAT THE COMMAND CTR HAD THE BIG PICTURE AND KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. AFTER THE SHIFT THE RPTR SAID SHE DECIDED TO FILE A NASA SAFETY RPT. THE RPT FORMS ARE KEPT AT SUPVR'S DESK AND PROVIDED ON REQUEST. THE SUPVR APPARENTLY ASKED THE RPTR WHY SHE WAS FILING A RPT. THE RPTR SAID OTHER CTLRS WOULD HAVE FILED A RPT ON THE PROBS WITH THE TMU BUT FELT INTIMIDATED ASKING THE SUPVR FOR A FORM.

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.