Narrative:

Medium large transport X had just descended to FL330 for traffic at FL370 and FL350, and was still on a vector to avoid the FL350 traffic (route mia/psic mgw pit). Medium large transport Y was at FL330 on an assigned heading to help the aircraft avoid WX en route to dca (route bna/bkw J213 aml dca). Traffic was very heavy (not unusual for this sector at this time of day) and there were thunderstorms in the eastern half of the sector blocking arrs to dca, iad, bwi and adw transitioning over bkw and crw via csn and aml vortacs. The storms were also affecting other traffic in the east side of sector north and southbound, as well as the adjacent sectors to the ene and southeast. No traffic flow restriction had been implemented and no WX rerouting was in effect. Almost all aircraft except those north and southbound along the west end of sector were deviating and refusing to fly into the storms. Medium large transport Y had reported on the frequency with an initial request to deviate to the south and was assigned a heading of 040 degrees to go around the north side of the storms because other aircraft to his right at FL330 were also deviating for the WX. Medium large transport X was on an assigned heading of 310 degrees to avoid mlt Z wbound at FL350 and was being very stubborn about his descent and could not be turned back to the north until he reached FL330. The ca warning did not activate, and when I became aware of the problem, the 2 aircraft were converging with less than 10 mi sep. I issued turns to both aircraft and an immediate descent to FL310 to medium large transport X. Medium large transport X did start his descent, and when medium large transport Y passed 1.55 NM behind him, he was leaving FL328. Traffic was called to medium large transport Y and visual contact made at this time and he was cleared back on course. Neither aircraft appeared to turn to the headings assigned for sep purposes. There were no complaints or injuries, but the situation could have been easily avoided by a little timely traffic management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NORTHBOUND ACR-MLG, DESCENDED TO AVOID TRAFFIC AT HIGHER ALTS, CONFLICTED WITH NORTHEASTBOUND ACR-MLG AT FL330.

Narrative: MLG X HAD JUST DSNDED TO FL330 FOR TFC AT FL370 AND FL350, AND WAS STILL ON A VECTOR TO AVOID THE FL350 TFC (ROUTE MIA/PSIC MGW PIT). MLG Y WAS AT FL330 ON AN ASSIGNED HDG TO HELP THE ACFT AVOID WX ENRTE TO DCA (ROUTE BNA/BKW J213 AML DCA). TFC WAS VERY HEAVY (NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS SECTOR AT THIS TIME OF DAY) AND THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE SECTOR BLOCKING ARRS TO DCA, IAD, BWI AND ADW TRANSITIONING OVER BKW AND CRW VIA CSN AND AML VORTACS. THE STORMS WERE ALSO AFFECTING OTHER TFC IN THE E SIDE OF SECTOR N AND SBND, AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT SECTORS TO THE ENE AND SE. NO TFC FLOW RESTRICTION HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND NO WX REROUTING WAS IN EFFECT. ALMOST ALL ACFT EXCEPT THOSE N AND SBND ALONG THE W END OF SECTOR WERE DEVIATING AND REFUSING TO FLY INTO THE STORMS. MLG Y HAD RPTED ON THE FREQ WITH AN INITIAL REQUEST TO DEVIATE TO THE S AND WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 040 DEGS TO GO AROUND THE N SIDE OF THE STORMS BECAUSE OTHER ACFT TO HIS RIGHT AT FL330 WERE ALSO DEVIATING FOR THE WX. MLG X WAS ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 310 DEGS TO AVOID MLT Z WBOUND AT FL350 AND WAS BEING VERY STUBBORN ABOUT HIS DSCNT AND COULD NOT BE TURNED BACK TO THE N UNTIL HE REACHED FL330. THE CA WARNING DID NOT ACTIVATE, AND WHEN I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROB, THE 2 ACFT WERE CONVERGING WITH LESS THAN 10 MI SEP. I ISSUED TURNS TO BOTH ACFT AND AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO FL310 TO MLG X. MLG X DID START HIS DSCNT, AND WHEN MLG Y PASSED 1.55 NM BEHIND HIM, HE WAS LEAVING FL328. TFC WAS CALLED TO MLG Y AND VISUAL CONTACT MADE AT THIS TIME AND HE WAS CLRED BACK ON COURSE. NEITHER ACFT APPEARED TO TURN TO THE HDGS ASSIGNED FOR SEP PURPOSES. THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS OR INJURIES, BUT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED BY A LITTLE TIMELY TFC MGMNT.

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