NORTHBOUND ACR-MLG; DESCENDED TO AVOID TRAFFIC AT HIGHER ALTS; CONFLICTED WITH NORTHEASTBOUND ACR-MLG AT FL330.

Narrative

MLG X HAD JUST DSNDED TO FL330 FOR TFC AT FL370 AND FL350; AND WAS STILL ON A VECTOR TO AVOID THE FL350 TFC (ROUTE MIA/PSIC MGW PIT). MLG Y WAS AT FL330 ON AN ASSIGNED HDG TO HELP THE ACFT AVOID WX ENRTE TO DCA (ROUTE BNA/BKW J213 AML DCA). TFC WAS VERY HEAVY (NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS SECTOR AT THIS TIME OF DAY) AND THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE SECTOR BLOCKING ARRS TO DCA; IAD; BWI AND ADW TRANSITIONING OVER BKW AND CRW VIA CSN AND AML VORTACS. THE STORMS WERE ALSO AFFECTING OTHER TFC IN THE E SIDE OF SECTOR N AND SBND; AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT SECTORS TO THE ENE AND SE. NO TFC FLOW RESTRICTION HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND NO WX REROUTING WAS IN EFFECT. ALMOST ALL ACFT EXCEPT THOSE N AND SBND ALONG THE W END OF SECTOR WERE DEVIATING AND REFUSING TO FLY INTO THE STORMS. MLG Y HAD RPTED ON THE FREQ WITH AN INITIAL REQUEST TO DEVIATE TO THE S AND WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 040 DEGS TO GO AROUND THE N SIDE OF THE STORMS BECAUSE OTHER ACFT TO HIS RIGHT AT FL330 WERE ALSO DEVIATING FOR THE WX. MLG X WAS ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 310 DEGS TO AVOID MLT Z WBOUND AT FL350 AND WAS BEING VERY STUBBORN ABOUT HIS DSCNT AND COULD NOT BE TURNED BACK TO THE N UNTIL HE REACHED FL330. THE CA WARNING DID NOT ACTIVATE; AND WHEN I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROB; THE 2 ACFT WERE CONVERGING WITH LESS THAN 10 MI SEP. I ISSUED TURNS TO BOTH ACFT AND AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO FL310 TO MLG X. MLG X DID START HIS DSCNT; AND WHEN MLG Y PASSED 1.55 NM BEHIND HIM; HE WAS LEAVING FL328. TFC WAS CALLED TO MLG Y AND VISUAL CONTACT MADE AT THIS TIME AND HE WAS CLRED BACK ON COURSE. NEITHER ACFT APPEARED TO TURN TO THE HDGS ASSIGNED FOR SEP PURPOSES. THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS OR INJURIES; BUT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED BY A LITTLE TIMELY TFC MGMNT.