Narrative:

Sector R47 went into hold status for atlanta and charlotte landing traffic. No plan was initiated by flow control as to what and where these aircraft were supposed to enter hold; nor how long this hold was to be initiated for. There were numerous questions from aircraft to flow as to how long; the reason and what the actual plan was for this situation was to remain in effect. After nearly 30 mins; and still no plan from flow control; we entered the aircraft into holding at 1 fix for charlotte traffic and negotiated with an adjacent sector to hold atlanta inbound aircraft below our stratum in order to retain order with the numerous overflt tracks we had. WX was beginning to impact the arrival for the hustn transition into clt. Other sbound overflt aircraft were deviating for that WX as well. At no point did management; flow control; or any other person of influence; try and develop an option to lighten the impact on this sector. As a matter of fact; the restrs were increased and more strain was place on the procedures in place for those particular airports; atl and clt. Too many times during that session we moved aircraft into wrong altitude for direction of flight in order to miss transitioning aircraft or those placed into holding; raising the opportunity for having an operational error. This is becoming a very familiar practice and places air carrier; private; and military pilots and the ATC controllers working this traffic into a completely unsafe situation. Flow control at ZJX is out of control and completely incompetent to make decisions regarding air traffic in the southeastern united states. This matter is just one of many that could have been avoided by planning ahead and acting in a real time manner instead of reacting to the situation and forcing those involved into an unsafe situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED VERY BUSY TFC EVENT REQUIRING HOLDING FOR SEVERAL ARPTS; ALLEGING TRAFFIC MGMNT FAILED TO PLAN PROPERLY.

Narrative: SECTOR R47 WENT INTO HOLD STATUS FOR ATLANTA AND CHARLOTTE LNDG TFC. NO PLAN WAS INITIATED BY FLOW CTL AS TO WHAT AND WHERE THESE ACFT WERE SUPPOSED TO ENTER HOLD; NOR HOW LONG THIS HOLD WAS TO BE INITIATED FOR. THERE WERE NUMEROUS QUESTIONS FROM ACFT TO FLOW AS TO HOW LONG; THE REASON AND WHAT THE ACTUAL PLAN WAS FOR THIS SITUATION WAS TO REMAIN IN EFFECT. AFTER NEARLY 30 MINS; AND STILL NO PLAN FROM FLOW CTL; WE ENTERED THE ACFT INTO HOLDING AT 1 FIX FOR CHARLOTTE TFC AND NEGOTIATED WITH AN ADJACENT SECTOR TO HOLD ATLANTA INBOUND ACFT BELOW OUR STRATUM IN ORDER TO RETAIN ORDER WITH THE NUMEROUS OVERFLT TRACKS WE HAD. WX WAS BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE ARR FOR THE HUSTN TRANSITION INTO CLT. OTHER SBOUND OVERFLT ACFT WERE DEVIATING FOR THAT WX AS WELL. AT NO POINT DID MGMNT; FLOW CTL; OR ANY OTHER PERSON OF INFLUENCE; TRY AND DEVELOP AN OPTION TO LIGHTEN THE IMPACT ON THIS SECTOR. AS A MATTER OF FACT; THE RESTRS WERE INCREASED AND MORE STRAIN WAS PLACE ON THE PROCS IN PLACE FOR THOSE PARTICULAR ARPTS; ATL AND CLT. TOO MANY TIMES DURING THAT SESSION WE MOVED ACFT INTO WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT IN ORDER TO MISS TRANSITIONING ACFT OR THOSE PLACED INTO HOLDING; RAISING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HAVING AN OPERROR. THIS IS BECOMING A VERY FAMILIAR PRACTICE AND PLACES ACR; PVT; AND MIL PLTS AND THE ATC CTLRS WORKING THIS TFC INTO A COMPLETELY UNSAFE SITUATION. FLOW CTL AT ZJX IS OUT OF CTL AND COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING AIR TFC IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS MATTER IS JUST ONE OF MANY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY PLANNING AHEAD AND ACTING IN A REAL TIME MANNER INSTEAD OF REACTING TO THE SITUATION AND FORCING THOSE INVOLVED INTO AN UNSAFE SITUATION.

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.