Narrative:

Aircraft was on the honie 5 arrival. On initial contact I was unable to issue a descend via clearance because of traffic also inbound from the northwest. I assigned aircraft an altitude of 11000 ft. When aircraft was at wolmn; I issued the following clearance; 'aircraft; cross fogog at 11000 ft then descend via the honie 5 arrival.' the pilot acknowledged the clearance. In a few mi the pilot asked for clarification on the altitude at fogog and I repeated the above clearance with more emphasis on the crossing restr. In the middle of a transmission to another aircraft; I observed aircraft altitude to be at 10800 ft descending and told the pilot to immediately climb and maintain 11000 ft. Other controllers were yelling in the control room to watch the altitude because of departure traffic climbing to 10000 ft. Aircraft also did not turn downwind at fogog as per the arrival. I issued a vector to the pilot and canceled the descend via clearance. TCAS should have been telling the pilot not to descend because there was traffic in his way; but he was still descending. I have suggested ways to avoid these anomalies. However; since this anomaly is the 4TH of 4 I have had in the matter of 3 days; it has become quite apparent to me that the descend via procedures into atl should be discontinued. Safety is being compromised and a controller's attention should be on all aircraft; not on just the ones that 'might' descend too early.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ACR'S EARLY DESCENT ON THE HONIE RNAV ARR; NOTING MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES AND SEPARATION CONCERNS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS ON THE HONIE 5 ARR. ON INITIAL CONTACT I WAS UNABLE TO ISSUE A DSND VIA CLRNC BECAUSE OF TFC ALSO INBOUND FROM THE NW. I ASSIGNED ACFT AN ALT OF 11000 FT. WHEN ACFT WAS AT WOLMN; I ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC; 'ACFT; CROSS FOGOG AT 11000 FT THEN DSND VIA THE HONIE 5 ARR.' THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. IN A FEW MI THE PLT ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE ALT AT FOGOG AND I REPEATED THE ABOVE CLRNC WITH MORE EMPHASIS ON THE XING RESTR. IN THE MIDDLE OF A XMISSION TO ANOTHER ACFT; I OBSERVED ACFT ALT TO BE AT 10800 FT DSNDING AND TOLD THE PLT TO IMMEDIATELY CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT. OTHER CTLRS WERE YELLING IN THE CTL ROOM TO WATCH THE ALT BECAUSE OF DEP TFC CLBING TO 10000 FT. ACFT ALSO DID NOT TURN DOWNWIND AT FOGOG AS PER THE ARR. I ISSUED A VECTOR TO THE PLT AND CANCELED THE DSND VIA CLRNC. TCAS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TELLING THE PLT NOT TO DSND BECAUSE THERE WAS TFC IN HIS WAY; BUT HE WAS STILL DSNDING. I HAVE SUGGESTED WAYS TO AVOID THESE ANOMALIES. HOWEVER; SINCE THIS ANOMALY IS THE 4TH OF 4 I HAVE HAD IN THE MATTER OF 3 DAYS; IT HAS BECOME QUITE APPARENT TO ME THAT THE DSND VIA PROCS INTO ATL SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED. SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED AND A CTLR'S ATTN SHOULD BE ON ALL ACFT; NOT ON JUST THE ONES THAT 'MIGHT' DSND TOO EARLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.