ZTL controller reports of the traffic management controller (tmc) calling and telling to slow an air...

Attributes
ACN	1262690
Time
Date	201505
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZTL.ARTCC
State Reference	GA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Medium Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Speed All Types

Narrative:

Aircraft X was an atl departure enroute to iah. Tmu (traffic management unit) called and said to 'slow the aircraft X to slowest practical speed.' the controller complied. The aircraft speed that aircraft X was following was in the airspace of the controller next to the R3 controller. It is very unsafe and impractical for tmu to assign control instructions. This aircraft was left at slowest practical speed indefinitely which ultimately will affect the entire day of flights for aircraft X. This can also cause near collisions between aircraft.tmu needs to call and say what aircraft they need XXX distance between and allow the controllers to figure out the best way to get that spacing. Let the controllers be controllers. This is a very hazardous practice that tmu has begun. It needs to stop because it is dangerous. I have reported this issue 3 times now.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL Controller reports of the Traffic Management Controller (TMC) calling and telling to slow an aircraft to its slowest practical speed. The ZTL Controller claimed it was unsafe and the TMC should have given some other type of restriction like miles in trail.

Narrative: Aircraft X was an ATL departure enroute to IAH. TMU (Traffic Management Unit) called and said to 'slow the Aircraft X to slowest practical speed.' The controller complied. The aircraft speed that Aircraft X was following was in the airspace of the controller next to the R3 Controller. It is very unsafe and impractical for TMU to assign control instructions. This aircraft was left at slowest practical speed indefinitely which ultimately will affect the entire day of flights for Aircraft X. This can also cause near collisions between aircraft.TMU needs to call and say what aircraft they need XXX distance between and allow the controllers to figure out the best way to get that spacing. Let the controllers be controllers. This is a very hazardous practice that TMU has begun. It needs to stop because it is dangerous. I have reported this issue 3 times now.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

ZTL controller reports of the traffic management controller (tmc) calling and telling to slow an aircraft to its slowest practical speed. The ZTL controller claimed it was unsafe and the tmc should have given some other type of restriction like miles in trail.