Narrative:

All day there was WX just west of savannah forcing both northbound and sbound aircraft to deviation east into states/hunter (R68/67); and another line was offshore forcing northbound and sbound aircraft to deviate west into states/hunter (R68/67). Volume was heavy; with a tracker at 67/68 most of the day. I started the session tracking at sector 68. I relieved the r-side after he had been on position for somewhere around 2 hours of constant heavy traffic. Due to low staffing; I was unable to have a tracker initially; but did get one about 10 mins later when someone returned from a break. Due to the deviations; R-75 was unable to climb much of their traffic into sector 67; placing even higher volume on a very saturated sector 68. During a very busy portion of the session; the ocean sectors at ZJX began sending their atl landing aircraft through sector 68 direct dublin at even (sbound in ZJX) altitudes. I was working a sbound air carrier X at FL320 near savannah who wanted to deviation left for WX. I approved the deviation; and at that time noticed the wbound air carrier Y at FL320 approximately 10 mi east of the air carrier X. I issued an 'immediate' turn to the north to the air carrier Y and turned the air carrier X back swbound (towards the WX they were trying to avoid). My best guess is that the aircraft got approximately 7 mi laterally at the same altitude. Conflict alert never went off. Once separation was achieved; I sent both aircraft back on course; but had to turn another sbound aircraft 60 degrees off course to miss another of the wbound aircraft at FL320. Vertical separation was never an option due to numerous deviating aircraft at FL310 and FL330. My d-side informed the supervisor and the north area that we would be taking no more aircraft wbound from them. After the 'panic vectoring;' and scrambling for about 15 more mins to regain control of a very hectic situation; I was able to take a second to collect my thoughts. At that time the supervisor informed me that they had stopped mco departures; clt departures; capped jax departures at FL230 until north of my sector; and asked the east area to get mco arrs below FL240. When I was relieved after 1 hour 57 mins on position; the sector was nearly empty. As is often the case; tmu failed to be proactive and recognize that the 'only' hole in a massive line of WX was sitting over sector 68; and do something 'before' the controllers started screaming for help. Then when they finally did something it was about 30 mins too late to help (sector 68 is about 20-40 mins flying time from mco; 20-40 mins flying time from clt; etc); and frankly a bit of overkill. Additionally; forcing the mco's down early; and capping the jax departures only serves to shift the traffic to another sector; as now all of those aircraft are conflicting with each other in sector 54 instead of sector 68.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED BUSY/COMPLEX TFC PERIOD WHEN VECTOR TO RESOLVE CONFLICT RESULTED IN TURNS TOWARD WX; ALLEGING POOR TFC MGMNT.

Narrative: ALL DAY THERE WAS WX JUST W OF SAVANNAH FORCING BOTH NBOUND AND SBOUND ACFT TO DEV E INTO STATES/HUNTER (R68/67); AND ANOTHER LINE WAS OFFSHORE FORCING NBOUND AND SBOUND ACFT TO DEVIATE W INTO STATES/HUNTER (R68/67). VOLUME WAS HVY; WITH A TRACKER AT 67/68 MOST OF THE DAY. I STARTED THE SESSION TRACKING AT SECTOR 68. I RELIEVED THE R-SIDE AFTER HE HAD BEEN ON POS FOR SOMEWHERE AROUND 2 HRS OF CONSTANT HVY TFC. DUE TO LOW STAFFING; I WAS UNABLE TO HAVE A TRACKER INITIALLY; BUT DID GET ONE ABOUT 10 MINS LATER WHEN SOMEONE RETURNED FROM A BREAK. DUE TO THE DEVS; R-75 WAS UNABLE TO CLB MUCH OF THEIR TFC INTO SECTOR 67; PLACING EVEN HIGHER VOLUME ON A VERY SATURATED SECTOR 68. DURING A VERY BUSY PORTION OF THE SESSION; THE OCEAN SECTORS AT ZJX BEGAN SENDING THEIR ATL LNDG ACFT THROUGH SECTOR 68 DIRECT DUBLIN AT EVEN (SBOUND IN ZJX) ALTS. I WAS WORKING A SBOUND ACR X AT FL320 NEAR SAVANNAH WHO WANTED TO DEV L FOR WX. I APPROVED THE DEV; AND AT THAT TIME NOTICED THE WBOUND ACR Y AT FL320 APPROX 10 MI E OF THE ACR X. I ISSUED AN 'IMMEDIATE' TURN TO THE N TO THE ACR Y AND TURNED THE ACR X BACK SWBOUND (TOWARDS THE WX THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID). MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE ACFT GOT APPROX 7 MI LATERALLY AT THE SAME ALT. CONFLICT ALERT NEVER WENT OFF. ONCE SEPARATION WAS ACHIEVED; I SENT BOTH ACFT BACK ON COURSE; BUT HAD TO TURN ANOTHER SBOUND ACFT 60 DEGS OFF COURSE TO MISS ANOTHER OF THE WBOUND ACFT AT FL320. VERT SEPARATION WAS NEVER AN OPTION DUE TO NUMEROUS DEVIATING ACFT AT FL310 AND FL330. MY D-SIDE INFORMED THE SUPVR AND THE N AREA THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING NO MORE ACFT WBOUND FROM THEM. AFTER THE 'PANIC VECTORING;' AND SCRAMBLING FOR ABOUT 15 MORE MINS TO REGAIN CTL OF A VERY HECTIC SITUATION; I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A SECOND TO COLLECT MY THOUGHTS. AT THAT TIME THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD STOPPED MCO DEPS; CLT DEPS; CAPPED JAX DEPS AT FL230 UNTIL N OF MY SECTOR; AND ASKED THE E AREA TO GET MCO ARRS BELOW FL240. WHEN I WAS RELIEVED AFTER 1 HR 57 MINS ON POS; THE SECTOR WAS NEARLY EMPTY. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE; TMU FAILED TO BE PROACTIVE AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE 'ONLY' HOLE IN A MASSIVE LINE OF WX WAS SITTING OVER SECTOR 68; AND DO SOMETHING 'BEFORE' THE CTLRS STARTED SCREAMING FOR HELP. THEN WHEN THEY FINALLY DID SOMETHING IT WAS ABOUT 30 MINS TOO LATE TO HELP (SECTOR 68 IS ABOUT 20-40 MINS FLYING TIME FROM MCO; 20-40 MINS FLYING TIME FROM CLT; ETC); AND FRANKLY A BIT OF OVERKILL. ADDITIONALLY; FORCING THE MCO'S DOWN EARLY; AND CAPPING THE JAX DEPS ONLY SERVES TO SHIFT THE TFC TO ANOTHER SECTOR; AS NOW ALL OF THOSE ACFT ARE CONFLICTING WITH EACH OTHER IN SECTOR 54 INSTEAD OF SECTOR 68.

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