Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 9
Confusion; Distraction; Workload; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
ATL was on an east operation during yet another severe convective weather event. There was heavy to extreme precip on and around the vicinity of the airport.  I was conducting OJTI at the time.  The arrival wall was running triple simultaneous approaches to the airport when a storm hit the airport and grew in intensity and wind shear alerts began occurring (I'm sure you've never heard this before).  SAT was split two ways at the time and a CPC was the SAT CIC.  Aircraft started abandoning the approaches at ATL; and I was informed I would be getting aircraft both northbound and southbound off the airport at 40 heading into my airspace. Aircraft X was a westbound departure we had been vectoring at 4000.  When these events started; I turned the aircraft to the NW and climbed it to 7000 feet to avoid the general area of the approach control final box; anticipating multiple aircraft would be in the area where I was vectoring Aircraft X.  A few minutes later; the arrival controller called to coordinate aircraft holding at 7000 and 8000 feet that would encroach on my airspace.  I approved it; the call was terminated; but then I immediately realized that Aircraft Y's holding pattern may conflict with Aircraft X; so I called back right away and issued traffic on Aircraft X for Aircraft Y.  The arrival controller subsequently turned Aircraft Y away from Aircraft X.  I was unsure whether or not the flight paths on the two aircraft would conflict; but they did not appear to be converging. Once again an error in judgment was made to continue with simultaneous triple arrivals into ATL with weather on or near the airport.  The TMC later told me that multiple discussions had occurred between himself; the OS; the OM; and the NWS; and the most likely probability was that the weather would not have a severe adverse affect on the airport operations.  However; based on much history; both recent and not; when convective weather begins moving onto ATL airport; it almost always intensifies and causes havoc.  Today was no different. This is about the 3rd or 4th time it's happened in the past two weeks alone. The ATM has repeatedly stressed to operational management that during these situations caution should be exercised; and that we should err on the side of not being in a position where we are landing three runways during possible convective weather on the airport.  By the time the above incident occurred; we were trying to split the SAT sectors three ways during a very confusing and complex situation.  I had somewhere between eight to ten ATL arrival aircraft in my sector on vectors; along with my other traffic.  I was unable to provide service to any of the SAT airports. When the south SAT (X) sector finally split off; it was done on the fly; the CPC did not get informed about traffic holding in his airspace at Tiroe; and; in an attempt to keep these ATL go a rounds separated; he almost climbed aircraft into that traffic.  Air carrier aircraft on my frequency were trying to get more information from me about what was going on at the airport and what the plan was.  I couldn't give them anything because no information was being provided to me.  When they finally said they would begin accepting ATL arrivals again; I vectored two aircraft towards the airport; only to be told ten miles from the final that they would not accept arrivals after all.  Then; aircraft began to divert and we were unable to amend their flight plans; so ZTL had to open up the Rome low sector just so they could handle diverts off ATL going to nearby airports. All these aircraft had be manually coordinated and handed off to ZTL with no flight plans in the NAS.  It was very stressful and tense for both the pilots and the controllers working.  Unfortunately; it has become all too common at ATL of late; and it doesn't have to be that way.  I hope this will attract someone's notice and will garner the attention it deserves before there is a catastrophic event in Atlanta Tracon airspace or at ATL airport.  Today stands as another example of outstanding teamwork displayed by skilled professionals; both pilots and controllers; who were somehow able to bring order to a very chaotic situation.  A situation they probably should have never found themselves in.
A80 describes severe weather situation where the weather is causing problems with running arrivals.  Aircraft come close together in a holding pattern.