Narrative:

Management has started briefing a change to our 'sunol' sector airspace. The change is the result of the oapm committee; based on aircraft on RNAV arrivals; and not on the present legacy system that we use now. The change to the airspace breaks up the 'kirkwood' sector dividing it among three sectors. Sunol is inheriting a majority of the airspace. My concern is this; the 'sunol' sector is a high altitude sector and is the feeder sector for the oak arrivals from the east and the south; and they also work the arrivals from the south descending for sacramento and the other out lying airports to the north of the sunol sector; with multiple routes passing through the arrivals. Presently the kirkwood sector can be combined to the fairfield sector during times of 'light' traffic. With sunol assuming the new airspace we are setting the sunol controller up to fail! One by adding more airspace for one person to watch with aircraft traveling at high speeds; second by not having the ability to split the sector in times of heavy traffic; and third; adding another conflict area for the sunol controller to watch with aircraft descending for sacramento and the departures climbing out of the bay. Sunol already has a lot of airspace to watch being one of the bigger sectors in our facility; with multiple shelves and now we are adding even more airspace for one controller to watch. Recommendation; either leave the airspace the way it currently is; or stop the training and re-think the break up completely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NCT Controller voiced concern regarding the planned SUNOL airspace changes in conjunction with the OAPA 'Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the METROPLEX' effort/s.

Narrative: Management has started briefing a change to our 'Sunol' Sector airspace. The change is the result of the OAPM committee; based on aircraft on RNAV arrivals; and not on the present Legacy system that we use now. The change to the airspace breaks up the 'Kirkwood' Sector dividing it among three sectors. Sunol is inheriting a majority of the airspace. My concern is this; the 'Sunol' Sector is a high altitude sector and is the feeder sector for the OAK arrivals from the east and the south; and they also work the arrivals from the south descending for Sacramento and the other out lying airports to the North of the Sunol Sector; with multiple routes passing through the arrivals. Presently the Kirkwood Sector can be combined to the Fairfield Sector during times of 'light' traffic. With Sunol assuming the new airspace we are setting the Sunol Controller up to fail! One by adding more airspace for one person to watch with aircraft traveling at high speeds; second by not having the ability to split the sector in times of heavy traffic; and third; adding another conflict area for the Sunol Controller to watch with aircraft descending for Sacramento and the departures climbing out of the bay. Sunol already has a lot of airspace to watch being one of the bigger sectors in our facility; with multiple shelves and now we are adding even more airspace for one controller to watch. Recommendation; either leave the airspace the way it currently is; or stop the training and re-think the break up completely.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.