Narrative:

A line of WX was running east/west from west of gnv to the east coast of florida. The normal arrs to tpa were closed; as well as the bugz and leese arrs to mco. Because of this; sector 58 (st augustine) was working all this traffic in addition to their normal traffic load. When I assumed the position at F57 (st johns); I noticed sector 58 had a d-side and tracker and was very busy. At the time; 4 south area controllers were over 2 hours on position. I was briefed that the mco departures had been stopped temporarily; but were coming out again. At the time I assumed the sector; there were about 3 mco departures northbound and about 3 more flashing at the sector approximately 5-10 mi in trail. I immediately informed the supervisor and tmu specialist assigned to the area that I was pretty sure the departures would start deviating east soon because of the WX south of crg. I requested mco be shut off again so that sector 58 would not have to be impacted by any additional traffic. Shortly after that; I had overflts at FL190 and FL210 request to deviate east (into sector 58) and the next 2 mco departures also requested to deviate east. At this time I told the supervisor to stop mco departures immediately. 2 more departures came out before mco finally stopped launching; and both of those aircraft also wound up in sector 58. When queried; tmu and management informed me those airplanes were 'already on the taxiway.' not more than 5 mins after stopping departures; tmu was back to ask if we could start departures again. Sector 58 was still saturated; and unable to respond; so I told them absolutely not. The next response was 'well; what if we do 30 mi in trail?' I responded 'you seem to be hell bent on sending airplanes into this WX regardless of what the controllers want; so do whatever you like.' about 2 mins later; another mco departure checked on asking to deviate east into the still-saturated R-58. Additionally; I got an sfb departure from dab approach; who also wanted to go east to keep their aircraft away from the WX (apparently dab was on a call for release but not the satellite airports). I told them unable for at least 15 mins due to sector saturation. It should be noted that jax was also on a call for release; and they allowed a fernandina beach departure off into R-58 during this time as well. Perhaps tmu should include satellite airports when they pass crash fire rescue equipment back to the approach controls. While coordinating the east deviation of the sfb departure with sector 58; I was told by R-58 'you can do what you want with him over there; but look real good because I've completely lost the flick on that side of my scope.' the east deviating departures; which had been shut down on 2 different occasions already were completely sinking sector 58. I informed my supervisor and tmu for a third time in less than 30 mins to shut off the mco departures. At this time; I had become quite agitated at the complete lack of concern on the part of tmu to help sector 58; and asked to be removed from the sector. I was literally so upset my hands were shaking and I felt completely helpless watching the sector next to me go further and further out of control. At the time I was relieved; there were still 2 mco departures flashing at sector 57; and my relief informed the supervisor he would not be taking those handoffs. In summary; 3 times tmu was asked to stop departures so that a sector saturated with extra aircraft; abnormal procedures; and WX deviations could take a little breather and get a grip on a chaotic situation; and 3 times tmu stopped traffic for less than 5 mins. Furthermore; it seems as if as soon as they hung up with mco approach they were back at my sector asking if we could start up again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED BUSY/COMPLEX TFC EVENT WITH NUMEROUS WX DEVIATIONS ALLEGEDLY RESULTING FROM POOR TFC MGMNT OVERSIGHT.

Narrative: A LINE OF WX WAS RUNNING E/W FROM W OF GNV TO THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. THE NORMAL ARRS TO TPA WERE CLOSED; AS WELL AS THE BUGZ AND LEESE ARRS TO MCO. BECAUSE OF THIS; SECTOR 58 (ST AUGUSTINE) WAS WORKING ALL THIS TFC IN ADDITION TO THEIR NORMAL TFC LOAD. WHEN I ASSUMED THE POS AT F57 (ST JOHNS); I NOTICED SECTOR 58 HAD A D-SIDE AND TRACKER AND WAS VERY BUSY. AT THE TIME; 4 S AREA CTLRS WERE OVER 2 HRS ON POS. I WAS BRIEFED THAT THE MCO DEPS HAD BEEN STOPPED TEMPORARILY; BUT WERE COMING OUT AGAIN. AT THE TIME I ASSUMED THE SECTOR; THERE WERE ABOUT 3 MCO DEPS NBOUND AND ABOUT 3 MORE FLASHING AT THE SECTOR APPROX 5-10 MI IN TRAIL. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE SUPVR AND TMU SPECIALIST ASSIGNED TO THE AREA THAT I WAS PRETTY SURE THE DEPS WOULD START DEVIATING E SOON BECAUSE OF THE WX S OF CRG. I REQUESTED MCO BE SHUT OFF AGAIN SO THAT SECTOR 58 WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE IMPACTED BY ANY ADDITIONAL TFC. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; I HAD OVERFLTS AT FL190 AND FL210 REQUEST TO DEVIATE E (INTO SECTOR 58) AND THE NEXT 2 MCO DEPS ALSO REQUESTED TO DEVIATE E. AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE SUPVR TO STOP MCO DEPS IMMEDIATELY. 2 MORE DEPS CAME OUT BEFORE MCO FINALLY STOPPED LAUNCHING; AND BOTH OF THOSE ACFT ALSO WOUND UP IN SECTOR 58. WHEN QUERIED; TMU AND MGMNT INFORMED ME THOSE AIRPLANES WERE 'ALREADY ON THE TXWY.' NOT MORE THAN 5 MINS AFTER STOPPING DEPS; TMU WAS BACK TO ASK IF WE COULD START DEPS AGAIN. SECTOR 58 WAS STILL SATURATED; AND UNABLE TO RESPOND; SO I TOLD THEM ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE NEXT RESPONSE WAS 'WELL; WHAT IF WE DO 30 MI IN TRAIL?' I RESPONDED 'YOU SEEM TO BE HELL BENT ON SENDING AIRPLANES INTO THIS WX REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CTLRS WANT; SO DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE.' ABOUT 2 MINS LATER; ANOTHER MCO DEP CHKED ON ASKING TO DEVIATE E INTO THE STILL-SATURATED R-58. ADDITIONALLY; I GOT AN SFB DEP FROM DAB APCH; WHO ALSO WANTED TO GO E TO KEEP THEIR ACFT AWAY FROM THE WX (APPARENTLY DAB WAS ON A CALL FOR RELEASE BUT NOT THE SATELLITE ARPTS). I TOLD THEM UNABLE FOR AT LEAST 15 MINS DUE TO SECTOR SATURATION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT JAX WAS ALSO ON A CALL FOR RELEASE; AND THEY ALLOWED A FERNANDINA BEACH DEP OFF INTO R-58 DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. PERHAPS TMU SHOULD INCLUDE SATELLITE ARPTS WHEN THEY PASS CFR BACK TO THE APCH CTLS. WHILE COORDINATING THE E DEV OF THE SFB DEP WITH SECTOR 58; I WAS TOLD BY R-58 'YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH HIM OVER THERE; BUT LOOK REAL GOOD BECAUSE I'VE COMPLETELY LOST THE FLICK ON THAT SIDE OF MY SCOPE.' THE E DEVIATING DEPS; WHICH HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS ALREADY WERE COMPLETELY SINKING SECTOR 58. I INFORMED MY SUPVR AND TMU FOR A THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN 30 MINS TO SHUT OFF THE MCO DEPS. AT THIS TIME; I HAD BECOME QUITE AGITATED AT THE COMPLETE LACK OF CONCERN ON THE PART OF TMU TO HELP SECTOR 58; AND ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SECTOR. I WAS LITERALLY SO UPSET MY HANDS WERE SHAKING AND I FELT COMPLETELY HELPLESS WATCHING THE SECTOR NEXT TO ME GO FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT OF CTL. AT THE TIME I WAS RELIEVED; THERE WERE STILL 2 MCO DEPS FLASHING AT SECTOR 57; AND MY RELIEF INFORMED THE SUPVR HE WOULD NOT BE TAKING THOSE HDOFS. IN SUMMARY; 3 TIMES TMU WAS ASKED TO STOP DEPS SO THAT A SECTOR SATURATED WITH EXTRA ACFT; ABNORMAL PROCS; AND WX DEVS COULD TAKE A LITTLE BREATHER AND GET A GRIP ON A CHAOTIC SITUATION; AND 3 TIMES TMU STOPPED TFC FOR LESS THAN 5 MINS. FURTHERMORE; IT SEEMS AS IF AS SOON AS THEY HUNG UP WITH MCO APCH THEY WERE BACK AT MY SECTOR ASKING IF WE COULD START UP AGAIN.

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.