Narrative:

Level 4 and 5 thunderstorms overlaid dfw airport and the arrival fixes from the east (buj and scy). The early afternoon arrival complex from the east was starting to enter the facility. Flow control had rerted traffic from the transitions for buj, to the transitions to the SCY3 arrival. I was working el dorado high sector, which was receiving numerous arrs from ZME to dfw. About this time, the arrival controller at scy reported that 2 turbojet aircraft refused the SCY3 arrival due to WX. The supervisor said he had been arguing with flow control for some period of time prior to this to expect that problem, but flow control had not listened to his advice. Now, flow control leaped into action and decided to route all traffic to txk and the BUJ3 arrival. Since we had a heavy share of arrs in high altitude airspace over eld, shv, and aex, quite a bit of chaos ensued trying to handle these impromptu reroutings. Numerous conflict alerts were activating as 2 separate sectors were aiming aircraft at txk, converging north of shv. About this time, a tornado was on the ground 25 northeast of dfw. The first BUJ3 arrival reported severe turbulence and refused the arrival. The sector receiving the txk-bound traffic had to quit accepting handoffs. Now 3 high altitude sectors were loaded with airplanes, performing a 'game of dodge-ball.' no safe flow of traffic was available, leaving us scrambling to avoid collisions and trying to make safe places to perform 360 degree turns. Then we were told to route planes to fzt VORTAC to hold. I was issuing a clearance to fzt with 'expect further clearance on the next frequency.' I've never seen so many conflict alerts activating in high altitude airspace. What a headache.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOO MUCH TFC FOR AIRSPACE RESULTS IN CHAOS. CTLR CLAIMS THAT FLOW CTL DID NOT INSTITUTE METERING IN SUFFICIENT TIME.

Narrative: LEVEL 4 AND 5 TSTMS OVERLAID DFW ARPT AND THE ARR FIXES FROM THE E (BUJ AND SCY). THE EARLY AFTERNOON ARR COMPLEX FROM THE E WAS STARTING TO ENTER THE FACILITY. FLOW CTL HAD RERTED TFC FROM THE TRANSITIONS FOR BUJ, TO THE TRANSITIONS TO THE SCY3 ARR. I WAS WORKING EL DORADO HIGH SECTOR, WHICH WAS RECEIVING NUMEROUS ARRS FROM ZME TO DFW. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE ARR CTLR AT SCY RPTED THAT 2 TURBOJET ACFT REFUSED THE SCY3 ARR DUE TO WX. THE SUPVR SAID HE HAD BEEN ARGUING WITH FLOW CTL FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME PRIOR TO THIS TO EXPECT THAT PROB, BUT FLOW CTL HAD NOT LISTENED TO HIS ADVICE. NOW, FLOW CTL LEAPED INTO ACTION AND DECIDED TO RTE ALL TFC TO TXK AND THE BUJ3 ARR. SINCE WE HAD A HVY SHARE OF ARRS IN HIGH ALT AIRSPACE OVER ELD, SHV, AND AEX, QUITE A BIT OF CHAOS ENSUED TRYING TO HANDLE THESE IMPROMPTU REROUTINGS. NUMEROUS CONFLICT ALERTS WERE ACTIVATING AS 2 SEPARATE SECTORS WERE AIMING ACFT AT TXK, CONVERGING N OF SHV. ABOUT THIS TIME, A TORNADO WAS ON THE GND 25 NE OF DFW. THE FIRST BUJ3 ARR RPTED SEVERE TURB AND REFUSED THE ARR. THE SECTOR RECEIVING THE TXK-BOUND TFC HAD TO QUIT ACCEPTING HDOFS. NOW 3 HIGH ALT SECTORS WERE LOADED WITH AIRPLANES, PERFORMING A 'GAME OF DODGE-BALL.' NO SAFE FLOW OF TFC WAS AVAILABLE, LEAVING US SCRAMBLING TO AVOID COLLISIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE SAFE PLACES TO PERFORM 360 DEG TURNS. THEN WE WERE TOLD TO RTE PLANES TO FZT VORTAC TO HOLD. I WAS ISSUING A CLRNC TO FZT WITH 'EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC ON THE NEXT FREQ.' I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY CONFLICT ALERTS ACTIVATING IN HIGH ALT AIRSPACE. WHAT A HEADACHE.

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