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Controller reporter complains about altimeter update responsibility.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 138532 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zbw |
| State Reference | MA |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 138532 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Starting about in oct of last yr one of the fpl's in my area (area D) noticed that the altimeter settings were not being updated as they had been in the past. We expressed our concern to the asic that evening. A considerable amount of time went by before we were informed that even though the flight data position was receiving the altimeter reject message, if an altimeter setting is off by +/- .04 or more it is rejected and does not automatically update those shown on the rdr mans crd. Our area manager pushed for some time to get the flight data people to make the updates as they had in the past. The only thing he was able to get out of them was a twice daily update. The problem this creates is almost worse then not having any good altimeters, inconsistent correct settings. Controllers will see correct settings for a while until the pressure rises or falls rapidly. Then they are out of line until the twice daily check by FD or a controller manually checks all of them and updates him/herself. I have included a random selection I have been gathering over the last few months. As you can see it is now a sporadic problem. Please look into this and let me know what can be done. I'm including an article from the natca ZBW local newsletter I wrote to make sure all the controllers were aware of this problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT ALTIMETER UPDATE RESPONSIBILITY.
Narrative: STARTING ABOUT IN OCT OF LAST YR ONE OF THE FPL'S IN MY AREA (AREA D) NOTICED THAT THE ALTIMETER SETTINGS WERE NOT BEING UPDATED AS THEY HAD BEEN IN THE PAST. WE EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN TO THE ASIC THAT EVENING. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WENT BY BEFORE WE WERE INFORMED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FLT DATA POS WAS RECEIVING THE ALTIMETER REJECT MESSAGE, IF AN ALTIMETER SETTING IS OFF BY +/- .04 OR MORE IT IS REJECTED AND DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE THOSE SHOWN ON THE RDR MANS CRD. OUR AREA MGR PUSHED FOR SOME TIME TO GET THE FLT DATA PEOPLE TO MAKE THE UPDATES AS THEY HAD IN THE PAST. THE ONLY THING HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THEM WAS A TWICE DAILY UPDATE. THE PROB THIS CREATES IS ALMOST WORSE THEN NOT HAVING ANY GOOD ALTIMETERS, INCONSISTENT CORRECT SETTINGS. CTLRS WILL SEE CORRECT SETTINGS FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE PRESSURE RISES OR FALLS RAPIDLY. THEN THEY ARE OUT OF LINE UNTIL THE TWICE DAILY CHK BY FD OR A CTLR MANUALLY CHKS ALL OF THEM AND UPDATES HIM/HERSELF. I HAVE INCLUDED A RANDOM SELECTION I HAVE BEEN GATHERING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS NOW A SPORADIC PROB. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE. I'M INCLUDING AN ARTICLE FROM THE NATCA ZBW LCL NEWSLETTER I WROTE TO MAKE SURE ALL THE CTLRS WERE AWARE OF THIS PROB.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.