Narrative:

Starting at about XA30 pm with WX moving in a couple of our sectors had turned red and the traffic did not slow for a couple of hours. During this time we also had 40 mit to iah; extensive in-trail and occasional holding into atl; in-trail to mem and several of the northeast airports. Tmu did not help us; as we were having to get the 40 mi to iah at the last 2 sectors and giving huge turns. We had 4 side by side and had to space them out with each other. When asked for relief from tmu I was told to give an air carrier a 180 degree heading to cew..lev..lla.STROS4.iah; ZJX called and asked what I was doing and the aircraft could not go that way it will put him in the warning areas. There are a couple of safety issues that concerned me during all of this; #1 is the fact that we were allowed to become so overloaded for so long in the first place; the area had an 'oe' print during this busy time-frame; but ended up measuring out of the 'oe' later that evening. We had to hold aircraft in other sectors because the next sector was too busy to take any more aircraft; the controllers had to take actions to help each other and the next sector out; which is great but if we are doing that then what is the purpose of tmu. #2 was the reroute; it almost seems like tmu was just guessing on a route and figured if we turned the air carrier into ZJX it would no longer be ZTL's problem. Tmu should never ask controllers to give rtes that put aircraft into a warning area or any other rtes that could cause danger; such as putting aircraft into WX. When several of the controllers bring up concerns about our tmu to our supervisors we are hushed or told they are flustered also. Several of us have also been told how they don't work for our building they work for washington dc headquarters; that is where they are all attached to now; not ZTL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE LACK OF TFC MGMNT INITIATIVES DURING A BUSY TFC PERIOD.

Narrative: STARTING AT ABOUT XA30 PM WITH WX MOVING IN A COUPLE OF OUR SECTORS HAD TURNED RED AND THE TFC DID NOT SLOW FOR A COUPLE OF HRS. DURING THIS TIME WE ALSO HAD 40 MIT TO IAH; EXTENSIVE IN-TRAIL AND OCCASIONAL HOLDING INTO ATL; IN-TRAIL TO MEM AND SEVERAL OF THE NE ARPTS. TMU DID NOT HELP US; AS WE WERE HAVING TO GET THE 40 MI TO IAH AT THE LAST 2 SECTORS AND GIVING HUGE TURNS. WE HAD 4 SIDE BY SIDE AND HAD TO SPACE THEM OUT WITH EACH OTHER. WHEN ASKED FOR RELIEF FROM TMU I WAS TOLD TO GIVE AN ACR A 180 DEG HDG TO CEW..LEV..LLA.STROS4.IAH; ZJX CALLED AND ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING AND THE ACFT COULD NOT GO THAT WAY IT WILL PUT HIM IN THE WARNING AREAS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SAFETY ISSUES THAT CONCERNED ME DURING ALL OF THIS; #1 IS THE FACT THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO BECOME SO OVERLOADED FOR SO LONG IN THE FIRST PLACE; THE AREA HAD AN 'OE' PRINT DURING THIS BUSY TIME-FRAME; BUT ENDED UP MEASURING OUT OF THE 'OE' LATER THAT EVENING. WE HAD TO HOLD ACFT IN OTHER SECTORS BECAUSE THE NEXT SECTOR WAS TOO BUSY TO TAKE ANY MORE ACFT; THE CTLRS HAD TO TAKE ACTIONS TO HELP EACH OTHER AND THE NEXT SECTOR OUT; WHICH IS GREAT BUT IF WE ARE DOING THAT THEN WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF TMU. #2 WAS THE REROUTE; IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE TMU WAS JUST GUESSING ON A RTE AND FIGURED IF WE TURNED THE ACR INTO ZJX IT WOULD NO LONGER BE ZTL'S PROB. TMU SHOULD NEVER ASK CTLRS TO GIVE RTES THAT PUT ACFT INTO A WARNING AREA OR ANY OTHER RTES THAT COULD CAUSE DANGER; SUCH AS PUTTING ACFT INTO WX. WHEN SEVERAL OF THE CTLRS BRING UP CONCERNS ABOUT OUR TMU TO OUR SUPVRS WE ARE HUSHED OR TOLD THEY ARE FLUSTERED ALSO. SEVERAL OF US HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD HOW THEY DON'T WORK FOR OUR BUILDING THEY WORK FOR WASHINGTON DC HQ; THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE ALL ATTACHED TO NOW; NOT ZTL.

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