Narrative:

On 05/sat/02 I was working sectors R48/47 and around XA00 the sector became unmanageable and unsafe. There was a WX system moving through the area that was requiring aircraft to deviate in all directions while they navigated through the sector. The sector is bordered to the southeast by active warning areas. The areas were active and inclusive use was from FL430 to the surface. Aircraft traveling sbound could not fly to the west and avoid the WX. They required approval to deviate to the southeast into the warning areas. I was unable to guarantee approval or clrncs to the aircraft to allow them to safely navigation around the WX and remain clear of the active warning areas. As soon as the aircraft entered sector R48 or R47 the aircraft were committed to traveling to the southeast of the WX. Deviations west of the WX had to begin prior to the sector boundaries due to the enormous size of the WX system. I started to observe aircraft deviating into the warning areas without approval and aircraft started advising me they had to deviate further to the southeast. I was unable to comply with these requests. I had no choice but to close the sector and disrupt the national airspace system. I feel as though this action was severe and drastic. This situation should have never reached this state, this was a known WX frontal system transiting the area, it was forecasted to impact the operation through the day. The warning areas were scheduled to go active, the airlines were scheduled to fly. No steps were taken to prevent this drastic situation from occurring. The lack of response by jacksonville traffic management is criminal and needs to be investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX ARTCC RADAR CTLR CLOSES HIS SECTOR DUE TO A LARGE WX SYS IN HIS AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON 05/SAT/02 I WAS WORKING SECTORS R48/47 AND AROUND XA00 THE SECTOR BECAME UNMANAGEABLE AND UNSAFE. THERE WAS A WX SYS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THAT WAS REQUIRING ACFT TO DEVIATE IN ALL DIRECTIONS WHILE THEY NAVIGATED THROUGH THE SECTOR. THE SECTOR IS BORDERED TO THE SE BY ACTIVE WARNING AREAS. THE AREAS WERE ACTIVE AND INCLUSIVE USE WAS FROM FL430 TO THE SURFACE. ACFT TRAVELING SBOUND COULD NOT FLY TO THE W AND AVOID THE WX. THEY REQUIRED APPROVAL TO DEVIATE TO THE SE INTO THE WARNING AREAS. I WAS UNABLE TO GUARANTEE APPROVAL OR CLRNCS TO THE ACFT TO ALLOW THEM TO SAFELY NAV AROUND THE WX AND REMAIN CLR OF THE ACTIVE WARNING AREAS. AS SOON AS THE ACFT ENTERED SECTOR R48 OR R47 THE ACFT WERE COMMITTED TO TRAVELING TO THE SE OF THE WX. DEVS W OF THE WX HAD TO BEGIN PRIOR TO THE SECTOR BOUNDARIES DUE TO THE ENORMOUS SIZE OF THE WX SYS. I STARTED TO OBSERVE ACFT DEVIATING INTO THE WARNING AREAS WITHOUT APPROVAL AND ACFT STARTED ADVISING ME THEY HAD TO DEVIATE FURTHER TO THE SE. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THESE REQUESTS. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CLOSE THE SECTOR AND DISRUPT THE NATL AIRSPACE SYS. I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS ACTION WAS SEVERE AND DRASTIC. THIS SIT SHOULD HAVE NEVER REACHED THIS STATE, THIS WAS A KNOWN WX FRONTAL SYS TRANSITING THE AREA, IT WAS FORECASTED TO IMPACT THE OP THROUGH THE DAY. THE WARNING AREAS WERE SCHEDULED TO GO ACTIVE, THE AIRLINES WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY. NO STEPS WERE TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS DRASTIC SIT FROM OCCURRING. THE LACK OF RESPONSE BY JACKSONVILLE TFC MGMNT IS CRIMINAL AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

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.