Narrative:

On sunday jun/xx/89, one other controller and myself were working as specialists in the traffic management unit. On weekends (in this ARTCC) the tmu also works the duties of the mission coordinator. One of the mission coordinator duties is to receive and disseminate military airspace usage times. I was signed on the mission coordinator position from XX00-XX00. At approximately XX30 am, the other controller took a phone call from yakima range control, informing us that R6714A would be in use starting XX00 pm from surface to FL250. With my assistance, he filled out a NOTAM form and took it to our flight data section for teletype dissemination. I marked the information on our mission status board which is used to track airspace information. We did not send notice to the sectors because facility policy is to wait until one hour prior to in-use time for this action. I did note red asterisks on the status board to indicate future action needed taken. At XX00 am I took a break for coffee. There was no specific relief briefing because those in the unit were aware earlier of the need for the message to the sectors. From XX15-XX30 pm I and the other traffic management controller metered arrivals to seatac. A definite distraction from military duties. The message was never sent to the sectors and aircraft entered the airspace after it was in use. The error was caught because one of the military participants (aircraft) told a sector controller he was scheduled for delay in R6714A. A message was then sent to affected sectors. Suggestions: 1) the military status board should be repaired. Previously, orange lights could be lit to show a pending action. This is much more noticeable than red ink asterisks. This board has had the lights out of service, due to a voltage problem, for over 3 months. 2) staff the mission coordinator position with military specialists from XX30 am to XX30 pm every day. Traffic management specialists only work this from XX30 pm to XX30 pm every day. Since these are very light activity periods, good work habits are hard to maintain. And if a military specialist is on duty for the day, he should work that position. 3) reemphasize thorough relief briefings, even if just on short break, or if those working have previous knowledge of pending action. 4) amend procedures to require the yakima range control to confirm actual airspace usage 1 hour prior to use time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APPROVAL FOR USE OF RESTRICTED AIRSPACE NOT PASSED TO APPROPRIATE SECTORS UNTIL AFTER AIRSPACE WAS IN USE.

Narrative: ON SUNDAY JUN/XX/89, ONE OTHER CTLR AND MYSELF WERE WORKING AS SPECIALISTS IN THE TFC MGMNT UNIT. ON WEEKENDS (IN THIS ARTCC) THE TMU ALSO WORKS THE DUTIES OF THE MISSION COORDINATOR. ONE OF THE MISSION COORDINATOR DUTIES IS TO RECEIVE AND DISSEMINATE MIL AIRSPACE USAGE TIMES. I WAS SIGNED ON THE MISSION COORDINATOR POSITION FROM XX00-XX00. AT APPROX XX30 AM, THE OTHER CTLR TOOK A PHONE CALL FROM YAKIMA RANGE CTL, INFORMING US THAT R6714A WOULD BE IN USE STARTING XX00 PM FROM SURFACE TO FL250. WITH MY ASSISTANCE, HE FILLED OUT A NOTAM FORM AND TOOK IT TO OUR FLT DATA SECTION FOR TELETYPE DISSEMINATION. I MARKED THE INFO ON OUR MISSION STATUS BOARD WHICH IS USED TO TRACK AIRSPACE INFO. WE DID NOT SEND NOTICE TO THE SECTORS BECAUSE FAC POLICY IS TO WAIT UNTIL ONE HR PRIOR TO IN-USE TIME FOR THIS ACTION. I DID NOTE RED ASTERISKS ON THE STATUS BOARD TO INDICATE FUTURE ACTION NEEDED TAKEN. AT XX00 AM I TOOK A BREAK FOR COFFEE. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC RELIEF BRIEFING BECAUSE THOSE IN THE UNIT WERE AWARE EARLIER OF THE NEED FOR THE MESSAGE TO THE SECTORS. FROM XX15-XX30 PM I AND THE OTHER TFC MGMNT CTLR METERED ARRIVALS TO SEATAC. A DEFINITE DISTR FROM MIL DUTIES. THE MESSAGE WAS NEVER SENT TO THE SECTORS AND ACFT ENTERED THE AIRSPACE AFTER IT WAS IN USE. THE ERROR WAS CAUGHT BECAUSE ONE OF THE MIL PARTICIPANTS (ACFT) TOLD A SECTOR CTLR HE WAS SCHEDULED FOR DELAY IN R6714A. A MESSAGE WAS THEN SENT TO AFFECTED SECTORS. SUGGESTIONS: 1) THE MIL STATUS BOARD SHOULD BE REPAIRED. PREVIOUSLY, ORANGE LIGHTS COULD BE LIT TO SHOW A PENDING ACTION. THIS IS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE THAN RED INK ASTERISKS. THIS BOARD HAS HAD THE LIGHTS OUT OF SERVICE, DUE TO A VOLTAGE PROBLEM, FOR OVER 3 MONTHS. 2) STAFF THE MISSION COORDINATOR POSITION WITH MIL SPECIALISTS FROM XX30 AM TO XX30 PM EVERY DAY. TFC MGMNT SPECIALISTS ONLY WORK THIS FROM XX30 PM TO XX30 PM EVERY DAY. SINCE THESE ARE VERY LIGHT ACTIVITY PERIODS, GOOD WORK HABITS ARE HARD TO MAINTAIN. AND IF A MIL SPECIALIST IS ON DUTY FOR THE DAY, HE SHOULD WORK THAT POSITION. 3) REEMPHASIZE THOROUGH RELIEF BRIEFINGS, EVEN IF JUST ON SHORT BREAK, OR IF THOSE WORKING HAVE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF PENDING ACTION. 4) AMEND PROCS TO REQUIRE THE YAKIMA RANGE CTL TO CONFIRM ACTUAL AIRSPACE USAGE 1 HR PRIOR TO USE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.