Narrative:

Aircraft X called and asked to deviate left of course 3 times; 2 of which were blocked by other aircraft calling at the same time. On the third call; when I finally heard him; I approved a left deviation to go to the north side of a depicted cell; and then direct to atl when able. My plan here was to have aircraft X now pass on the north side of aircraft Y and keep my lateral separation in that way. About 6 seconds alter; I noticed that aircraft X was only going to skirt the edges of the depicted WX; and not follow the same path as the other aircraft flying through there; and was now going to be in more of a conflict with aircraft Y (about this time a tracker plugged in and began monitoring the situation). At this time; I stopped aircraft X and assigned him present heading; thinking I still had lateral with the other aircraft Y. Now; my attention was diverted to the close proximity of aircraft Z and the overflt of sqs at FL340 from the northern sector. After several mins of negotiating with the pilots; I was able to resolve the situation. At the same time this was happening; an aircraft near rmg VORTAC was hoping to climb and deviate toward atl -- which took both my attention and the d-side's attention. I then looked back at the aircraft X and aircraft Y situation and analyzed that. It was apparent now that the ph was not going to work; so I issued a 20 degree right turn to aircraft Y; to which he responded and accepted. I then turned aircraft X an additional 15 degrees right; to which he accepted and turned. Noticing that the aircraft Y had not began his turn; I issued an additional 20 degrees right (total of 40 degrees) to the aircraft (41 seconds after the initial vector was issued); to which he accepted. I then returned to aircraft X and told him to fly a heading of 180 degrees for traffic; to which he responded; 'roger; we are turning right; responding to an RA.' I acknowledged that; and told him to fly a heading of 180 degrees when he was finished with his RA. At this point; the aircraft were about 5.2 mi apart from one another; diverging by approximately 130 degrees. As the 2 aircraft continued their turns; aircraft Y snuck inside the 5 mi halo of aircraft X and aircraft Y began a climb. A second or two later; aircraft X advised that he was climbing to FL330 in response to the RA he received. I immediately told him; 'roger; traffic immediately overhead at FL330 (an air carrier aircraft); descend and maintain FL320 as soon as possible.' he acknowledged and began his descent back to FL320. Even though there was an FL340 overflt on top of the FL330 overflt; neither of those aircraft responded to any RA; thankfully; and continued their flts. In short; the TCAS should have told the aircraft X to descend to FL310; which; upon review; was open and available. Instead; it instructed the pilot to climb directly into another aircraft (the worst and most unsafe option available). Following airline SOP's; the pilot responded to the RA advisory; and to the instructions that he was given by me. Aircraft X and aircraft Y were 4.7 mi and an additional 400 ft laterally separated at the same altitude and aircraft X and aircraft Z were 1.2 mi laterally and 600 ft vertically separated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR DESCRIBED TCAS RA AT FL320; RESULTING IN CONFLICT WITH THIRD ACFT; CTLR QUESTIONING TCAS RA INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: ACFT X CALLED AND ASKED TO DEVIATE L OF COURSE 3 TIMES; 2 OF WHICH WERE BLOCKED BY OTHER ACFT CALLING AT THE SAME TIME. ON THE THIRD CALL; WHEN I FINALLY HEARD HIM; I APPROVED A L DEV TO GO TO THE N SIDE OF A DEPICTED CELL; AND THEN DIRECT TO ATL WHEN ABLE. MY PLAN HERE WAS TO HAVE ACFT X NOW PASS ON THE N SIDE OF ACFT Y AND KEEP MY LATERAL SEPARATION IN THAT WAY. ABOUT 6 SECONDS ALTER; I NOTICED THAT ACFT X WAS ONLY GOING TO SKIRT THE EDGES OF THE DEPICTED WX; AND NOT FOLLOW THE SAME PATH AS THE OTHER ACFT FLYING THROUGH THERE; AND WAS NOW GOING TO BE IN MORE OF A CONFLICT WITH ACFT Y (ABOUT THIS TIME A TRACKER PLUGGED IN AND BEGAN MONITORING THE SITUATION). AT THIS TIME; I STOPPED ACFT X AND ASSIGNED HIM PRESENT HDG; THINKING I STILL HAD LATERAL WITH THE OTHER ACFT Y. NOW; MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO THE CLOSE PROX OF ACFT Z AND THE OVERFLT OF SQS AT FL340 FROM THE NORTHERN SECTOR. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF NEGOTIATING WITH THE PLTS; I WAS ABLE TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION. AT THE SAME TIME THIS WAS HAPPENING; AN ACFT NEAR RMG VORTAC WAS HOPING TO CLB AND DEVIATE TOWARD ATL -- WHICH TOOK BOTH MY ATTN AND THE D-SIDE'S ATTN. I THEN LOOKED BACK AT THE ACFT X AND ACFT Y SITUATION AND ANALYZED THAT. IT WAS APPARENT NOW THAT THE PH WAS NOT GOING TO WORK; SO I ISSUED A 20 DEG R TURN TO ACFT Y; TO WHICH HE RESPONDED AND ACCEPTED. I THEN TURNED ACFT X AN ADDITIONAL 15 DEGS R; TO WHICH HE ACCEPTED AND TURNED. NOTICING THAT THE ACFT Y HAD NOT BEGAN HIS TURN; I ISSUED AN ADDITIONAL 20 DEGS R (TOTAL OF 40 DEGS) TO THE ACFT (41 SECONDS AFTER THE INITIAL VECTOR WAS ISSUED); TO WHICH HE ACCEPTED. I THEN RETURNED TO ACFT X AND TOLD HIM TO FLY A HDG OF 180 DEGS FOR TFC; TO WHICH HE RESPONDED; 'ROGER; WE ARE TURNING R; RESPONDING TO AN RA.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT; AND TOLD HIM TO FLY A HDG OF 180 DEGS WHEN HE WAS FINISHED WITH HIS RA. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 5.2 MI APART FROM ONE ANOTHER; DIVERGING BY APPROX 130 DEGS. AS THE 2 ACFT CONTINUED THEIR TURNS; ACFT Y SNUCK INSIDE THE 5 MI HALO OF ACFT X AND ACFT Y BEGAN A CLB. A SECOND OR TWO LATER; ACFT X ADVISED THAT HE WAS CLBING TO FL330 IN RESPONSE TO THE RA HE RECEIVED. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM; 'ROGER; TFC IMMEDIATELY OVERHEAD AT FL330 (AN ACR ACFT); DSND AND MAINTAIN FL320 ASAP.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN HIS DSCNT BACK TO FL320. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS AN FL340 OVERFLT ON TOP OF THE FL330 OVERFLT; NEITHER OF THOSE ACFT RESPONDED TO ANY RA; THANKFULLY; AND CONTINUED THEIR FLTS. IN SHORT; THE TCAS SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE ACFT X TO DSND TO FL310; WHICH; UPON REVIEW; WAS OPEN AND AVAILABLE. INSTEAD; IT INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO CLB DIRECTLY INTO ANOTHER ACFT (THE WORST AND MOST UNSAFE OPTION AVAILABLE). FOLLOWING AIRLINE SOP'S; THE PLT RESPONDED TO THE RA ADVISORY; AND TO THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT HE WAS GIVEN BY ME. ACFT X AND ACFT Y WERE 4.7 MI AND AN ADDITIONAL 400 FT LATERALLY SEPARATED AT THE SAME ALT AND ACFT X AND ACFT Z WERE 1.2 MI LATERALLY AND 600 FT VERTICALLY SEPARATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.