Narrative:

Military egt X was given an approach clearance for the hi-TACAN runway 17 at george AFB, victorville, ca, to cross vandy (IAF) at 10000'. After the clearance was issued, george gca called me with 2 manual handoffs on IFR departures from george AFB on the trona departure route. I also had an mlt Y on a vector to join V442 south of aples intersection. A manual handoff was also being attempted to ontario approach on mlt Y. Another mlt was 15 mi east of edw VORTAC direct to daggett VOR climbing out of 12000' for FL190, and also needed to be manually handed off to ZLA. Military fgt X continued on the approach and entered george gca's airspace west/O a manual handoff or coordination being accomplished. There were 5 aircraft (all on IFR clrncs) involved. One aircraft needed to be manually handed off to ZLA, one to ontario approach, and 3 aircraft needed to be manually handed off between edw approach and george (gca) (2 departures off george and 1 arrival into george). No automation (interface) exists between edw RAPCON and any of the facs involved. In fact, edw is the largest geographical RAPCON in the world. We are involved extensively on a minute-by-minute basis, with numerous sections of ZOA and ZLA, ont and bur tracons and george AFB gca. There is no automation between edw RAPCON and any of these facs. We are a stand-alone facility. If automation would have been I place between edw RAPCON and at least george cga, george gca #1 would have seen military fgt X coming down the approach on their radar in more than ample time to plan for it, if not possibly stop the intrusion of their airspace. #2 george gca could have flashed the 2 departures at me so I could see them 'ahead' of time and start planning. These 2 occurrences alone would have cut my required manual coordination at least 60%. If you enter the interface between edw and ont, another 20% of the required manual coordination could have been eliminated. If 80% of my required manual coordination could have been eliminated with automation, this would have freed up my workload to allow extra time to possibly resolve other demanding conflictions. Automation is possible in today's technology. Granted, it is expensive, but how can you put a price on safety? The controllers at dew have been told automation is 'on the way' for at least 4 yrs that I know of and we are now being told it will be 1991.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL FGT X PENETRATED VCV AIRSPACE PRIOR TO MANUAL RADAR HANDOFF. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION. SITUATION: NO AUTOMATION CAPABILITIES AT EDW APCH CTL. HARD TO BELIEVE IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

Narrative: MIL EGT X WAS GIVEN AN APCH CLRNC FOR THE HI-TACAN RWY 17 AT GEORGE AFB, VICTORVILLE, CA, TO CROSS VANDY (IAF) AT 10000'. AFTER THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED, GEORGE GCA CALLED ME WITH 2 MANUAL HDOFS ON IFR DEPS FROM GEORGE AFB ON THE TRONA DEP ROUTE. I ALSO HAD AN MLT Y ON A VECTOR TO JOIN V442 S OF APLES INTXN. A MANUAL HDOF WAS ALSO BEING ATTEMPTED TO ONTARIO APCH ON MLT Y. ANOTHER MLT WAS 15 MI E OF EDW VORTAC DIRECT TO DAGGETT VOR CLBING OUT OF 12000' FOR FL190, AND ALSO NEEDED TO BE MANUALLY HANDED OFF TO ZLA. MIL FGT X CONTINUED ON THE APCH AND ENTERED GEORGE GCA'S AIRSPACE W/O A MANUAL HDOF OR COORD BEING ACCOMPLISHED. THERE WERE 5 ACFT (ALL ON IFR CLRNCS) INVOLVED. ONE ACFT NEEDED TO BE MANUALLY HANDED OFF TO ZLA, ONE TO ONTARIO APCH, AND 3 ACFT NEEDED TO BE MANUALLY HANDED OFF BTWN EDW APCH AND GEORGE (GCA) (2 DEPS OFF GEORGE AND 1 ARR INTO GEORGE). NO AUTOMATION (INTERFACE) EXISTS BTWN EDW RAPCON AND ANY OF THE FACS INVOLVED. IN FACT, EDW IS THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHICAL RAPCON IN THE WORLD. WE ARE INVOLVED EXTENSIVELY ON A MINUTE-BY-MINUTE BASIS, WITH NUMEROUS SECTIONS OF ZOA AND ZLA, ONT AND BUR TRACONS AND GEORGE AFB GCA. THERE IS NO AUTOMATION BTWN EDW RAPCON AND ANY OF THESE FACS. WE ARE A STAND-ALONE FAC. IF AUTOMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN I PLACE BTWN EDW RAPCON AND AT LEAST GEORGE CGA, GEORGE GCA #1 WOULD HAVE SEEN MIL FGT X COMING DOWN THE APCH ON THEIR RADAR IN MORE THAN AMPLE TIME TO PLAN FOR IT, IF NOT POSSIBLY STOP THE INTRUSION OF THEIR AIRSPACE. #2 GEORGE GCA COULD HAVE FLASHED THE 2 DEPS AT ME SO I COULD SEE THEM 'AHEAD' OF TIME AND START PLANNING. THESE 2 OCCURRENCES ALONE WOULD HAVE CUT MY REQUIRED MANUAL COORD AT LEAST 60%. IF YOU ENTER THE INTERFACE BTWN EDW AND ONT, ANOTHER 20% OF THE REQUIRED MANUAL COORD COULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. IF 80% OF MY REQUIRED MANUAL COORD COULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED WITH AUTOMATION, THIS WOULD HAVE FREED UP MY WORKLOAD TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO POSSIBLY RESOLVE OTHER DEMANDING CONFLICTIONS. AUTOMATION IS POSSIBLE IN TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY. GRANTED, IT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT HOW CAN YOU PUT A PRICE ON SAFETY? THE CTLRS AT DEW HAVE BEEN TOLD AUTOMATION IS 'ON THE WAY' FOR AT LEAST 4 YRS THAT I KNOW OF AND WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD IT WILL BE 1991.

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.