B737-300
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Workload; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing; Weather
R21 is a departure sector receiving aircraft from MIA Approach climbing to 160 heading to the northeast. I was working R21 when; without notification; I begin to get hand offs from Sector 20 for FLL arrivals. The area of weather which closed the FISAL arrival for FLL extended to the southeast and was affecting the departures out of MIA. The departures were deviating to the south of the normal departure route. The departures were head on with the arrivals and all deviating. Sector 20 was unable to descend; slow; and sequence the arrivals before hand offs so they were spinning them entering my sector. The D-Side I had was inadequately trained to be of assistance at the sector. He said he accepted point outs on the aircraft but I am unsure. I requested MIA Approach to spin a departure because I could not climb him and get them around the weather. After the closure of the arrivals the TMU requested 15 miles in trail out the DTAs ZAPPA and VALLY but we were not getting it. The restriction was not being complied with. On a few occasions I turned aircraft without control in order to miss traffic. Finally after 30 minutes of chaos; the departures were ground stopped. It was an unsafe situation! It is unacceptable that TMU is not more proactive to avoid the situations. This scenario occurs almost daily during the summer thunderstorm season in MIA. As soon as an arrival gate closes and the aircraft must be rerouted to a sector working departures; TMU should monitor to ensure the restriction they requested are being complied with. Controllers are often too busy to tell the FLM when the restriction is being adhered to; also timely notification to the FLM from TMU so the FLM can monitor the sector; which in this case did not occur. At the same time; in order to help the high sector provide more spacing to the lower sector; TMU should request in trail spacing from ZJX which should begin immediately. It is not unreasonable to request 5 miles in trail on a certain arrival; instead of the high sector receiving a stack of aircraft all going to the same airport.
ZMA Controller described a chaotic situation when traffic volumes and complexities reached a very high level; the reporter claiming the TMU failed to take necessary actions to temper the complex situation.