Date: 201705
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZTL.ARTCC, GA
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; Thunderstorm
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class A ZTL
ATC / advisory: Center ZTL
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Workload; Human-Machine Interface; Troubleshooting; Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Contributing factors: Procedure; Weather
Primary problem: Weather

Narrative: There was a weather system moving through ZTL airspace. An area of moderate to extreme precipitation was moving toward the DALAS arrival fixes into Atlanta. It had been moving that way slowly for two hours. The controller at DALAS Sector asked the supervisor to communicate with ZTL TMU to start moving ATL arrivals to the southwest arrival fixes. TMU decided to do nothing and wait until A80 shut off the DALAS sector. When this finally happened; their plan was to route the ATL arrivals due south through the GADSDEN sector; which I was working on the R-side. This occurred during a departure push. The departures were coming out of A80 on headings to go around the weather and then were given on course after their deviations. The WEST DEPARTURE sector was also getting departures that would have normally departed north off ATL due to the same weather that shut the DALAS sector off. This increase in traffic from the extra departures with the normal traffic through GADSDEN made the sector very busy. With the addition of the ATL arrivals now being routed south through the sector; the traffic became near unmanageable. Frequency congestion was also an issue due to the poor ride conditions and pilots not paying attention to the ride reports to other aircraft. During this time; I had three situations that were close to being losses of separation. Two of these instances involved the rerouted ATL arrivals; while the third instance was initially missed while dealing with the ATL arrivals.If TMU had starting rerouting some of the ATL arrivals that were initially coming in from the northwest side when the DALAS controller recommended it; this entire instance could have been avoided. With an earlier reroute and a miles in trail restriction coming from ZME Center; the newly rerouted arrivals could have been placed in sequence with the arrivals already coming to the southwest side allowing the controllers at MONROEVILLE and LAGRANGE sectors more time to in trail for ATL and a more orderly operation. In addition by moving these aircraft early; the impact on GADSDEN sector would have been drastically reduced.




Synopsis: ZTL Center Controller reported weather moved through the area and the Traffic Management Unit refused to accommodate.