Bombardier/Canadair Undifferentiated or Other Model
Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Human Factors; Weather; Procedure
The two aircraft involved were in two different sectors with the CRJ aircraft tracking due eastbound to get around weather. The aircraft took off with routing over [Washington Airspace]. No aircraft had flown over FAK in over two hours due to severe weather. TMU should have never let that aircraft depart on that route. I; as the D-Side; routed the aircraft over FKN… [to its destination]. This was the only way to get to [the destination]. The other aircraft was in sector 38 tracking northbound on J165 just south of NKKIE intersection. This aircraft had not begun to deviate for the weather but would need to soon. The two aircraft got within 4.8 miles of each other at FL270. Prior; during; and after this event; several aircraft (10+) entered sector 38 from sector 36 without handoffs being made. The controllers working both sectors were too busy with separating and rerouting aircraft around the severe weather to ensure handoffs were made in a timely manner.In this particular instance; there were a few sectors that did not have weather. Those sectors were well over map value for hours on end. Even though requests were made to shut off departures; these came far too late; and were not effective enough in limiting the sectors volume. In my particular sector; we requested to shut off the BARMY and KILNS departures out of CLT. 30 minutes later; I was still getting departures. Additionally; these departures were routed through severe thunderstorms. Nothing that would have helped me do my job of ensuring a safe; orderly; and efficient flow of traffic had been accomplished. As a result; this event occurred. It should be expected whenever there are two or more adjacent sectors working overloaded for over an hour. There was a line of weather that extended from the western end of Kentucky east past Richmond; VA. This was not an isolated thunderstorm; it was a line of weather that had been predicted for days before. Yet still; the FAA's Traffic Management Unit; from the Command Center on down; failed to prepare and act as it should have in the face of a severe weather event. Traffic Management; either through gross negligence or unbridled apathy opted to allow aircraft to depart on routes that would require them to deviate hundreds of miles off course. Even after it was clear that entire sectors would not be able to work aircraft; and TMU was made aware of the situation; they opted to do nothing to manage the traffic in any meaningful way. They instead opted to allow the traffic to run 'until the wheels fell off' and then slow the traffic down as necessary. That is not a plan. That is highly trained professionals making a conscious choice to not make a plan. It leads me to believe that we have a collection of people both at the ATSCC and at our local TMU who are either choosing to not do their jobs effectively or are simply incompetent. TMU's lack of effectiveness is not new. Every spring we hear about how 'This year will be different.' Yet still; nothing changes. My expectations for TMU are low and diminishing; but the group continues to disappoint me on a daily basis. Safety is regularly compromised and yet no one is held accountable.
I was the R-Side at Sector 36 (RDU) during the event. I had a D-side with me as did Sector 38 (TYI). There was a line of weather moving west to east that very few aircraft were going through/above. As it moved east; the traffic naturally followed. Eventually no aircraft were going back towards the RIC/HPW area after they were done deviating. As the weather kept moving eastbound and the aircraft kept coming; new routes had to be issued to all aircraft coming from ZTL going into any airport north of RIC. At first it was fine issuing the routes and pointing them out to TYI; but eventually traffic became too great for all 4 controllers involved to keep track of the picture.I had numerous aircraft climbing off of CLT that I wanted to get to altitude or somewhere close while giving them new routes. The CRJ700 was originally deviating to the east and then FAK when able. With the weather this was not possible so I thought I issued FKN SWL [to the destination]. (Looking back on the FALCON; the low sector had issued FKN BUKYY PAATS. DR/FKN was in the 4th line so I thought that I had already issued the new routing. With the FKN in the routing and the climb into my airspace; the aircraft auto flashed to Sector 20) All other aircraft were issued similar routing over FKN or ORF and then points northeastward.I climbed the CRJ to FL290 as I had an A320 going the same direction climbing to FL300. I quick looked TYI and saw the B737 descending to FL290 per internal SOP. I stopped the CRJ at FL270 and thought I flashed him to TYI for a handoff. I issued other clearances and routes to other aircraft when the 2 aircraft started flashing. TYI had descended the B737 to FL270. (Looking back at the FALCON; he probably descended the B737 to swap him out with the A320.)I immediately ran the sticks out to see who was in front of who and turned my aircraft 30 degrees right to ensure that the CRJ would go behind the B737. After separation was reestablished; I cleared the CRJ direct FKN.As a controller; I will take responsibility for not noticing that the CRJ was auto flashing to the wrong sector. However; I firmly believe that I was put into this position by the extremely poor procedures and personnel in the ZDC Traffic Management Unit (TMU). This weather was forecasted well before it arrived and yet nothing was done to give proper routing to miss the weather. Sector 16 and 20 were virtually shut down due to the weather; yet the aircraft kept coming for multiple hours 'deviating to the right and points NORTH when able' which put them right back into the weather.I am just a CPC and have no aspirations to become anything more. I honestly don't know most of what TMU does; but I feel like part of their responsibilities is to ensure that we as controllers have the best chance to separate traffic during times of extreme conditions. They failed that night and failed miserably. In my mind; this loss of separation can indirectly be traced back to TMU. For multiple hours; the aircraft kept coming from ZTL and ZJX with routes that were impossible to fly due to the weather. If TMU could reach out and just change 50% of the aircraft so they had better routes; my job would have been easier. I don't mind working more aircraft than the sector was built to accommodate; but I mind it when I feel like TMU is not doing anything to help. If you look at the FALCON for an hour before and after the event; you'll see that everyone was coming from other ARTCCs with deviations that eventually put them back into the weather or eventually just headings. How is it possible that our Traffic MANGEMENT Unit forgot to manage the effective flow of traffic?
Three ZDC Controllers described a loss of separation event that occurred during chaotic deviations around a line of thunderstorms. Lack of planning and control from the TMU were cited as factor in the event.