Narrative:

At about XA30 I was working R68 with a developmental d-side. There was severe WX impacting the entire northern and western sections of my sector; and every aircraft on my frequency was deviating. At about this time; mco closed to all aircraft due to a storm on the field; and I was forced to put about 5 aircraft in holding. Due to the extreme complexity of the WX deviations and holding; my workload increased significantly. I had become way too busy to 'call' the areas of radar depicted precipitation to each aircraft and was no longer able to read the convective sigmets; as required. As per management directive; I informed my supervisor of this situation and requested a tracker. Several mins later I was given a tracker; but nothing was done to decrease the amount of traffic entering my sector to allow me to again fulfill my WX related duties. I again informed my supervisor that I was still too busy to issue WX information; and again management and flow control took no action to slow down traffic to the point where I could issue WX as is now required of ATC. I feel that the lack of action by management and tmu (flow control) to manage traffic flow into my sector placed every aircraft on my frequency in danger. If ATC is required to call each area of precipitation to each aircraft on frequency; and to read all sigmets and airmets; tmu must take action to reduce traffic to the point where that is possible. Most of the time; without management or tmu help; that task is impossible due to sheer volume; frequency congestion; workload; complexity; and higher priority duties (separating aircraft).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN WX DEVIATIONS AND WORKLOAD PREVENTED ISSUANCE OF WX INFO; CITING POOR TFC MGMNT AS CAUSAL.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA30 I WAS WORKING R68 WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL D-SIDE. THERE WAS SEVERE WX IMPACTING THE ENTIRE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF MY SECTOR; AND EVERY ACFT ON MY FREQ WAS DEVIATING. AT ABOUT THIS TIME; MCO CLOSED TO ALL ACFT DUE TO A STORM ON THE FIELD; AND I WAS FORCED TO PUT ABOUT 5 ACFT IN HOLDING. DUE TO THE EXTREME COMPLEXITY OF THE WX DEVS AND HOLDING; MY WORKLOAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. I HAD BECOME WAY TOO BUSY TO 'CALL' THE AREAS OF RADAR DEPICTED PRECIP TO EACH ACFT AND WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO READ THE CONVECTIVE SIGMETS; AS REQUIRED. AS PER MGMNT DIRECTIVE; I INFORMED MY SUPVR OF THIS SITUATION AND REQUESTED A TRACKER. SEVERAL MINS LATER I WAS GIVEN A TRACKER; BUT NOTHING WAS DONE TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TFC ENTERING MY SECTOR TO ALLOW ME TO AGAIN FULFILL MY WX RELATED DUTIES. I AGAIN INFORMED MY SUPVR THAT I WAS STILL TOO BUSY TO ISSUE WX INFO; AND AGAIN MGMNT AND FLOW CTL TOOK NO ACTION TO SLOW DOWN TFC TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD ISSUE WX AS IS NOW REQUIRED OF ATC. I FEEL THAT THE LACK OF ACTION BY MGMNT AND TMU (FLOW CTL) TO MANAGE TFC FLOW INTO MY SECTOR PLACED EVERY ACFT ON MY FREQ IN DANGER. IF ATC IS REQUIRED TO CALL EACH AREA OF PRECIP TO EACH ACFT ON FREQ; AND TO READ ALL SIGMETS AND AIRMETS; TMU MUST TAKE ACTION TO REDUCE TFC TO THE POINT WHERE THAT IS POSSIBLE. MOST OF THE TIME; WITHOUT MGMNT OR TMU HELP; THAT TASK IS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO SHEER VOLUME; FREQ CONGESTION; WORKLOAD; COMPLEXITY; AND HIGHER PRIORITY DUTIES (SEPARATING ACFT).

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.