Narrative:

A little over a week ago the director of air traffic issued a cease and desist order to all air traffic controllers working at D10 approach control. It was to cease and desist all airspace violations as referenced in a recent corrective action request from the event review committee. Since that order has been given I have been working my best to ensure that I am not in violation to that order and abiding by all rules a regulations for fear of discipline. In an attempt to ensure I do not violate ATC procedures and orders I have identified several areas of our airspace and procedures that are not in compliance with local or national directives. I have informed my supervisors of these areas and written reports. When I came into work today I was already aware that there was an area of airspace on DR3 where the RNAV departure procedure came within 1.5 miles of the airspace boundary with the satellite and feeder airspace north of it. After I was assigned DR3 I took the position and observed the airspace problem for myself by placing a 1.5 mile j ring on an inside track departure. The aircraft did not keep 1.5 miles from the boundary. So; I called the tower and told them that I needed them to go to vectors off of the west side of the airport. I told the supervisor what I had done and why. The supervisor started coordinating with the operations manager behind me and I heard them discussing it and making phone calls. All the while I am working DR2 and 3 combined and am starting to get a little busy. The supervisor comes over and offers a solution to the problem I had identified. He said to draw a polygon showing the additional mile of airspace I need to ensure proper separation and share it with meacham south and the feeder west controller. I did and I coordinated the use of the airspace and then let the tower go back to RNAV departures. In the middle of all of this aircraft X checked on my frequency climbing on the RNAV SID off of dal to 080. I was on the line coordinating the aforementioned airspace and RNAV departures when he checked in. I came off the line and radar identified him and restated the altitude he was climbing to.I continued working and when I came back to aircraft X in my scan I noticed aircraft Y who was and east bound departure on the outside RNAV track being worked by DR1 was still at 050. Aircraft X was climbing and passing 051. I issued a traffic alert and an immediate climb to 100. Aircraft X stated that he had the traffic in sight or on TCAS I believe and that he was climbing to 100. I overheard the DR1 controller issue traffic and a climb at the same time or immediately after I had issued mine. I yelled over to him; no don't climb! I'm already above you! Aircraft Y was supposed to be on the RNAV departure off of dfw which has a top altitude of 100. A relief briefing had just occurred on DR1. The relieving controller had just barely sat down when the above happened. 1st; change the 7110.65 and other regulations back to requiring aircraft to state the altitude climbing to on departure. This was an apparent pilot deviation and or misunderstanding of the top altitude off of dfw. Had the aircraft stated the altitude climbing to the departure controller may have caught the error and avoided this whole situation. 2nd; the cease and desist order referenced above has created unsafe working conditions and environment. I was trying to do the correct thing to comply with all the rules and procedures; however; the poorly designed airspace and procedures that are not in compliance with local or national orders has created an environment where controllers have to adapt to survive. This coupled with the fact that I was working combined positions with two frequencies and trying to coordinate an airspace amendment caused me to be distracted from my primary duties. I believe had I not been distracted by all of this I would have noticed aircraft Y not climbing sooner and would have queried the DR1 controller and stopped aircraft X lower or issued alternate instructions to ensure separation.the cease and desist order needs to be rescinded and a time for a full procedures and airspace review needs to be allowed. Also; the RNAV SID off of dfw and the RNAV SID off of dal are not procedurally separated. The RNAV SID off of dfw should have a crossing restriction at or above 090 at paxtn to ensure separation from the dal departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Departure Controller's at D10 reported a conflict with an air carrier departing DAL with an air carrier departing DFW that had leveled off prematurely.

Narrative: A little over a week ago the director of Air Traffic issued a cease and desist order to all Air Traffic Controllers working at D10 Approach Control. It was to cease and desist all airspace violations as referenced in a recent corrective action request from the event review committee. Since that order has been given I have been working my best to ensure that I am not in violation to that order and abiding by all rules a regulations for fear of discipline. In an attempt to ensure I do not violate ATC procedures and orders I have identified several areas of our airspace and procedures that are not in compliance with local or national directives. I have informed my supervisors of these areas and written reports. When I came into work today I was already aware that there was an area of airspace on DR3 where the RNAV departure procedure came within 1.5 miles of the airspace boundary with the satellite and feeder airspace north of it. After I was assigned DR3 I took the position and observed the airspace problem for myself by placing a 1.5 mile j ring on an inside track departure. The aircraft did not keep 1.5 miles from the boundary. So; I called the Tower and told them that I needed them to go to vectors off of the west side of the airport. I told the supervisor what I had done and why. The supervisor started coordinating with the operations manager behind me and I heard them discussing it and making phone calls. All the while I am working DR2 and 3 combined and am starting to get a little busy. The supervisor comes over and offers a solution to the problem I had identified. He said to draw a polygon showing the additional mile of airspace I need to ensure proper separation and share it with Meacham South and the Feeder West controller. I did and I coordinated the use of the airspace and then let the tower go back to RNAV departures. In the middle of all of this Aircraft X checked on my frequency climbing on the RNAV SID off of DAL to 080. I was on the line coordinating the aforementioned airspace and RNAV departures when he checked in. I came off the line and RADAR identified him and restated the altitude he was climbing to.I continued working and when I came back to Aircraft X in my scan I noticed Aircraft Y who was and east bound departure on the outside RNAV track being worked by DR1 was still at 050. Aircraft X was climbing and passing 051. I issued a traffic alert and an immediate climb to 100. Aircraft X stated that he had the traffic in sight or on TCAS I believe and that he was climbing to 100. I overheard the DR1 controller issue traffic and a climb at the same time or immediately after I had issued mine. I yelled over to him; NO don't climb! I'm already above you! Aircraft Y was supposed to be on the RNAV departure off of DFW which has a top altitude of 100. A relief briefing had just occurred on DR1. The relieving controller had just barely sat down when the above happened. 1st; change the 7110.65 and other regulations back to requiring aircraft to state the altitude climbing to on departure. This was an apparent pilot deviation and or misunderstanding of the top altitude off of DFW. Had the aircraft stated the altitude climbing to the departure controller may have caught the error and avoided this whole situation. 2nd; the cease and desist order referenced above has created unsafe working conditions and environment. I was trying to do the correct thing to comply with all the rules and procedures; however; the poorly designed airspace and procedures that are not in compliance with local or national orders has created an environment where controllers have to adapt to survive. This coupled with the fact that I was working combined positions with two frequencies and trying to coordinate an airspace amendment caused me to be distracted from my primary duties. I believe had I not been distracted by all of this I would have noticed Aircraft Y not climbing sooner and would have queried the DR1 controller and stopped Aircraft X lower or issued alternate instructions to ensure separation.The cease and desist order needs to be rescinded and a time for a full procedures and airspace review needs to be allowed. Also; the RNAV SID off of DFW and the RNAV SID off of DAL are not procedurally separated. The RNAV SID off of DFW should have a crossing restriction at or above 090 at PAXTN to ensure separation from the DAL departure.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.