Narrative:

Once again a complete failure by area management and traffic management at ZFW led to chaos and problems. The key problem was a line of WX from wi to ok. Aircraft were being routed sbound around the line; however all the flts were converging on sps VORTAC. The sector to the east; 48; was in the situation of having 60+ aircraft in its acl; more than 3 times the alert parameter. The sector to the west; 93; ended up shutting off adjacent sectors. This resulted in 47 shutting off 48; and 48 shutting off 50 and 42. 94 had already been shut off by 93; pushing more traffic into 82. The sectors were extremely busy with up to 5 controllers on each sector and often a supervisor or two peering over the shoulders of the controllers. Requests for in-trail and/or route changes received no response. The situation was well and truly out of control. This situation is a repeat of the problems of jun/xa/08 and will continue to reoccur as less and less experienced people assume control of the NAS due to retirements. Supplemental information from acn 789818: at ZFW was an intense WX and traffic evening. There was a solid line of WX moving west to east that extended north to at least ks and kept building south almost to ZHU's airspace. The traffic volume was only manageable because controllers shut off other sectors and stopped taking aircraft (this is truly a last resort). Reroutes were having to be given to aircraft that were being made up as we went along (by controllers). Experience became the saving grace in this traffic scenario. It was fly by the seat of your pants controling using every tool you have ever learned. This scenario happens time and time again with a WX pattern like this and tmu fails to plan enough. It appears they are more concerned with aircraft getting airborne and fixing their route later. Tmu tries to help but they fail repeatedly. They are clueless when it comes to volume issues. On this evening; sector saturation was out of control; lack of a plan for rerouting aircraft was out of control. We were hanging on by a thread 'reactively' controling instead of being organized and methodical. There were too many aircraft. I have a lot of experience and I know what intensity is. Supervisors fail to use the tools that are provided to them and they are inadequate most of the time when it comes to operational knowledge. They are; however; good at answering the phone (when they are in the area) and approving (or not) leave requests. Scenarios like the ones experienced today; continue to happen; repeatedly. Someone is going to get hurt. Supplemental information from acn 789874: I don't know who else to turn to with this. This day was the most out of control I have seen in more than 20 yrs ATC. We told management of several airspace deviations and extremely dangerous situations. I'm sure they will just sweep them under the rug. It would just be nice to see someone investigate the occurrences so maybe they could be avoided in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLRS EXPRESSED ONGOING CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF SUPVR AND TFC MGMNT OVERSIGHT THAT RESULTED IN HVY TFC AND SECTOR VOLUME.

Narrative: ONCE AGAIN A COMPLETE FAILURE BY AREA MGMNT AND TFC MGMNT AT ZFW LED TO CHAOS AND PROBS. THE KEY PROB WAS A LINE OF WX FROM WI TO OK. ACFT WERE BEING ROUTED SBOUND AROUND THE LINE; HOWEVER ALL THE FLTS WERE CONVERGING ON SPS VORTAC. THE SECTOR TO THE E; 48; WAS IN THE SITUATION OF HAVING 60+ ACFT IN ITS ACL; MORE THAN 3 TIMES THE ALERT PARAMETER. THE SECTOR TO THE W; 93; ENDED UP SHUTTING OFF ADJACENT SECTORS. THIS RESULTED IN 47 SHUTTING OFF 48; AND 48 SHUTTING OFF 50 AND 42. 94 HAD ALREADY BEEN SHUT OFF BY 93; PUSHING MORE TFC INTO 82. THE SECTORS WERE EXTREMELY BUSY WITH UP TO 5 CTLRS ON EACH SECTOR AND OFTEN A SUPVR OR TWO PEERING OVER THE SHOULDERS OF THE CTLRS. REQUESTS FOR IN-TRAIL AND/OR RTE CHANGES RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE SITUATION WAS WELL AND TRULY OUT OF CTL. THIS SITUATION IS A REPEAT OF THE PROBS OF JUN/XA/08 AND WILL CONTINUE TO REOCCUR AS LESS AND LESS EXPERIENCED PEOPLE ASSUME CTL OF THE NAS DUE TO RETIREMENTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 789818: AT ZFW WAS AN INTENSE WX AND TFC EVENING. THERE WAS A SOLID LINE OF WX MOVING W TO E THAT EXTENDED N TO AT LEAST KS AND KEPT BUILDING S ALMOST TO ZHU'S AIRSPACE. THE TFC VOLUME WAS ONLY MANAGEABLE BECAUSE CTLRS SHUT OFF OTHER SECTORS AND STOPPED TAKING ACFT (THIS IS TRULY A LAST RESORT). REROUTES WERE HAVING TO BE GIVEN TO ACFT THAT WERE BEING MADE UP AS WE WENT ALONG (BY CTLRS). EXPERIENCE BECAME THE SAVING GRACE IN THIS TFC SCENARIO. IT WAS FLY BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS CTLING USING EVERY TOOL YOU HAVE EVER LEARNED. THIS SCENARIO HAPPENS TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITH A WX PATTERN LIKE THIS AND TMU FAILS TO PLAN ENOUGH. IT APPEARS THEY ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH ACFT GETTING AIRBORNE AND FIXING THEIR RTE LATER. TMU TRIES TO HELP BUT THEY FAIL REPEATEDLY. THEY ARE CLUELESS WHEN IT COMES TO VOLUME ISSUES. ON THIS EVENING; SECTOR SATURATION WAS OUT OF CTL; LACK OF A PLAN FOR REROUTING ACFT WAS OUT OF CTL. WE WERE HANGING ON BY A THREAD 'REACTIVELY' CTLING INSTEAD OF BEING ORGANIZED AND METHODICAL. THERE WERE TOO MANY ACFT. I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND I KNOW WHAT INTENSITY IS. SUPVRS FAIL TO USE THE TOOLS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THEM AND THEY ARE INADEQUATE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO OPERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THEY ARE; HOWEVER; GOOD AT ANSWERING THE PHONE (WHEN THEY ARE IN THE AREA) AND APPROVING (OR NOT) LEAVE REQUESTS. SCENARIOS LIKE THE ONES EXPERIENCED TODAY; CONTINUE TO HAPPEN; REPEATEDLY. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 789874: I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO TURN TO WITH THIS. THIS DAY WAS THE MOST OUT OF CTL I HAVE SEEN IN MORE THAN 20 YRS ATC. WE TOLD MGMNT OF SEVERAL AIRSPACE DEVS AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I'M SURE THEY WILL JUST SWEEP THEM UNDER THE RUG. IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO SEE SOMEONE INVESTIGATE THE OCCURRENCES SO MAYBE THEY COULD BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE.

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.