Narrative:

I was working the radar associate position on a high altitude sector responsible mostly for sequencing aircraft into the dfw area. There was training in progress on the radar position, with moderate to heavy traffic for the previous 45 mins. The controller in charge had informed us that tmu said we could take a couple of the southeast corner post to the southwest corner post because of high volume. The aircraft we elected to take to the southwest corner post was coming from a non standard routing south of the standard transition and still in ZHU's airspace. We notified the controller in charge and, as he called tmu, I called houston and informed them of the new route and reason, requested them to issue it. I accepted a pointout since the aircraft would transition the southern most section of our airspace. After the aircraft had traveled approximately 100 mi on the new route and was 10-15 mi from exiting our airspace to the west, I overheard the controller in charge explaining to tmu we didn't have communications with the aircraft, had nowhere to descend the aircraft without a 360 degree turn, and didn't have the room to take the aircraft on a dual arrival. (The dual arrival is generally not an option on south flow for my area and there are revised altitude restrs that cause need for early planning for additional spacing on the standard arrival.) while the controller in charge was talking to tmu on vscs, a supervisor for the area who had been in meetings and had not been briefed, or in charge, came into the area and answered the telephone. As soon as he got off the telephone, the supervisor informed us at the sector that the operations manager said to get communications with the aircraft in question and put him on the dual. I called the adjacent sector and requested a handoff and communications and asked if they could accept a pointout with the aircraft descending and spinning, which they approved. The supervisor called dfw approach and requested a waiver on the altitude restrs for the other aft, which was approved. The supervisor called dfw approach and requested a waiver on the altitude restrs for the other aircraft, which was approved. The intermediate sector informed us they had traffic below the aircraft that was descending and spinning and I realized we had the aircraft in question turning with the wind and at another aircraft at the bottom of our sector. I slid over to confer with the radar associate at the intermediate sector for a lower altitude on one of the aircraft. About the time we got an altitude worked out and issued to the other aircraft, the conflict alert activated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING SUPERVISORY ACTION DURING BUSY COMPLEX TFC SIT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS ON A HIGH ALT SECTOR RESPONSIBLE MOSTLY FOR SEQUENCING ACFT INTO THE DFW AREA. THERE WAS TRAINING IN PROGRESS ON THE RADAR POS, WITH MODERATE TO HVY TFC FOR THE PREVIOUS 45 MINS. THE CIC HAD INFORMED US THAT TMU SAID WE COULD TAKE A COUPLE OF THE SE CORNER POST TO THE SW CORNER POST BECAUSE OF HIGH VOLUME. THE ACFT WE ELECTED TO TAKE TO THE SW CORNER POST WAS COMING FROM A NON STANDARD ROUTING S OF THE STANDARD TRANSITION AND STILL IN ZHU'S AIRSPACE. WE NOTIFIED THE CIC AND, AS HE CALLED TMU, I CALLED HOUSTON AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NEW RTE AND REASON, REQUESTED THEM TO ISSUE IT. I ACCEPTED A POINTOUT SINCE THE ACFT WOULD TRANSITION THE SOUTHERN MOST SECTION OF OUR AIRSPACE. AFTER THE ACFT HAD TRAVELED APPROX 100 MI ON THE NEW RTE AND WAS 10-15 MI FROM EXITING OUR AIRSPACE TO THE W, I OVERHEARD THE CIC EXPLAINING TO TMU WE DIDN'T HAVE COMS WITH THE ACFT, HAD NOWHERE TO DSND THE ACFT WITHOUT A 360 DEG TURN, AND DIDN'T HAVE THE ROOM TO TAKE THE ACFT ON A DUAL ARR. (THE DUAL ARR IS GENERALLY NOT AN OPTION ON S FLOW FOR MY AREA AND THERE ARE REVISED ALT RESTRS THAT CAUSE NEED FOR EARLY PLANNING FOR ADDITIONAL SPACING ON THE STANDARD ARR.) WHILE THE CIC WAS TALKING TO TMU ON VSCS, A SUPVR FOR THE AREA WHO HAD BEEN IN MEETINGS AND HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED, OR IN CHARGE, CAME INTO THE AREA AND ANSWERED THE TELEPHONE. AS SOON AS HE GOT OFF THE TELEPHONE, THE SUPVR INFORMED US AT THE SECTOR THAT THE OPS MGR SAID TO GET COMS WITH THE ACFT IN QUESTION AND PUT HIM ON THE DUAL. I CALLED THE ADJACENT SECTOR AND REQUESTED A HDOF AND COMS AND ASKED IF THEY COULD ACCEPT A POINTOUT WITH THE ACFT DSNDING AND SPINNING, WHICH THEY APPROVED. THE SUPVR CALLED DFW APCH AND REQUESTED A WAIVER ON THE ALT RESTRS FOR THE OTHER AFT, WHICH WAS APPROVED. THE SUPVR CALLED DFW APCH AND REQUESTED A WAIVER ON THE ALT RESTRS FOR THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS APPROVED. THE INTERMEDIATE SECTOR INFORMED US THEY HAD TFC BELOW THE ACFT THAT WAS DSNDING AND SPINNING AND I REALIZED WE HAD THE ACFT IN QUESTION TURNING WITH THE WIND AND AT ANOTHER ACFT AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR SECTOR. I SLID OVER TO CONFER WITH THE RADAR ASSOCIATE AT THE INTERMEDIATE SECTOR FOR A LOWER ALT ON ONE OF THE ACFT. ABOUT THE TIME WE GOT AN ALT WORKED OUT AND ISSUED TO THE OTHER ACFT, THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED.

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.