Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (mon) 9; Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 6
Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Staffing; Weather; Chart Or Publication
We had 4 DTA's coming out one hole in the weather. We had no in trail coming off of approach either. Our local procedure is to stop FLL departures at 11;000 feet to ensure they do not deviate into MIA departures. Aircraft X was stopped at 9;000 coming from MIA approach and was never coordinated. I was training an A-side at the sector next to this one and saw it get busy. I moved over to assist the R-side to get through this traffic mess. PBI approach called later and asked if we stopped the aircraft or if he was NORDO. That was when we were notified that we had not pointed him out. I would pay better attention to the aircraft we have handoffs on. When I came over to be the D-side I should have verified with the R-side that the aircraft was pointed out to approach.
I was working R46 by myself. I had been working this position for about an hour already. There was weather over Miami extending south about 15 miles south of Dolphin VOR and 30 miles to the north. The weather extended north to about our border with Miami Approach; and due west about 30 miles to the border with sector 24. Airplanes were not transiting through the precipitation; and would only go due west from Miami. They would not go northeast at all. They tried to go north to HEDLY departure; but no one was going to the east from Miami approach. I had one or two airplanes that pushed through the precipitation to the northeast; but all outright refused. I told my supervisor that no one was going through the precipitation; and that none of our departures were working off of MIA or South. Sector 25 was refusing to work the departures; so Traffic Management Unit (TMU) shut off the departures from Miami. The Everglades supervisor; came back to me and said that all departures are going out of HEDLY now. A few minutes later; Miami was basically free-flowing the departures out one gate. I was working all of the departures for WINCO/THNDR/HEDLY/ARKES with no D-Side; and no in trail. I had; on most occasions; about 5 miles; maybe less; between the departures as they came off of Miami Approach. This required me to vertically separate the traffic as it climbed. I asked for more in trail from my supervisor; and he gave me a D-Side for a few minutes before another sector got busy and needed him. Mr. X was my D-Side for about 15 minutes during this push. I asked for more in trail and was told 'it's coming'. During this push; Miami was basically climbing all Miami / South jets to 16;000 - and all Turboprops to whatever altitude they could coordinate. FLL jets were climbing to 11;000; and both out the same game. No one was able to go over HEDLY because of the precipitation; so everyone was over ARKES. Miami flashed me the handoff on Aircraft X. I can't recall whether or not they coordinated his altitude of 9;000 with me. I do not think they did; but I was also so busy that I can't remember. Aircraft X checked in level at 9;000 and I told him 'roger; higher shortly.' I had nowhere I could climb him; as I had no usable altitudes. With FLL having their jets climb to 11;000; he was stuck there until well further north. I should have pointed him out immediately to Palm Beach Approach; but at the time; I had 20 airplanes on my scope [The sector goes Red at 12] and no D-Side. Shortly after; my D-side; then returned from Sector 67. Miami was still free-flowing their departures; with little or no in trail. We were so busy trying to separate the airplanes we both forgot about Aircraft X being in the shelf. Aircraft X violated Palm Beach Approach's airspace and remained in their airspace until abeam PBI. Palm Beach Approach called and asked us who he was.Aircraft X was climbed without further incident. I worked another 30 minutes at the sector until being able to get a break.Staffing continues to be a huge issue at Miami Center and specifically in our area. D-Sides have to 'bounce' around from sector to sector as they get busy; because if we have all of the D-Sides staffed; or even a couple of the D-Sides staffed; we have no one on break. The D-Sides in this situation are not aware on what is going on with the sectors. They'll sit somewhere for 15 minutes; go to another sector; go to another sector; and end up at 2 more sectors before they get a break. In this occurrence; we had approximately 9 CPCs available for staffing. We had 6 sectors open; with 2 D-Sides available. That means 1 CPC is on break. Supervisors are not scheduling overtime; and we're getting the same staffing as we have had during the summer; even though our traffic counts are double what they were in the summer.Our shelf with PBI approach is from surface to 7;000 feet. ZMA Airspace built this shelf so Miami Approach wouldn't have to point out the traffic to Palm Beach Approach. In this case; putting an aircraft at 9;000 (with no coordination) is basically putting him into a boxed airspace canyon. It's an inevitable point out; and one that falls on Sector 46 when he doesn't check on or I can't climb him; as in this case. Miami Approach doesn't care that they put him at 9;000; because it's not their point out to make. I know of numerous ATSAP regarding Stratification of Miami Approach. I have even written one before. Having all jets coming out the same gate at different altitudes doesn't solve any problems; and it just allows 'less delays' out of Miami Terminal areas at the compromise of safety. Stratification wouldn't be nearly as bad as it is now; if it was treated as one DTAs; instead they treat it as a 4 DTAs; and approach shoves as much traffic out it as possible. This forces us to cap turboprops below the lowest jets - which is 9;000; and makes it an instant point out to PBI approach. We keep hearing the solution is metroplex; but metroplex is years off and the situation is dire now. Under the guise of Stratification; Miami Approach uses it to throw airplanes at us at any heading or altitude they like; without coordinating any of it. We can have two airplanes that were side by side and now given completely opposite headings and converging; all without coordination.
Two ZMA controllers discuss interfacility coordination procedures for aircraft out of MIA during high traffic departure period when foul weather limits available departure paths.