ATC training in progress TRACON intrafac coordination breakdown.

Attributes
ACN	141069
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mzb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	141069
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : developmental
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure other

Narrative:

I was training a controller on the east arrival position at san approach during heavy sun after traffic. The trnee will rarely see traffic in this sector. During this session the handoff position was staffed by a journeyman initially, but the handoff was replaced with another trnee and his instrument. (This same staffing condition occurred on the previous weekend and after my session I had complained to the supervisor that I thought it was a potentially dangerous situation which required me to watch my trnee, the handoff trnee, and the handoff trainer [who is not aggressive in watching what his trnee is doing at handoff].) the supervisor agreed with me and said that such staffing would not happen again. When the trnee at handoff sat down my initial instinct was to complain to the supervisor that this was a less than satisfactory operation. I looked around the room but saw no supervisor present and traffic was heavy enough not to allow the time to follow-up. Subsequently I instructed the handoff trnee to assign a heading to small aircraft X (an inbound to our sector) and to advise the adjacent controller of traffic (small aircraft X) inbound on the gillespie localizer. As I discovered later, the trnee at handoff did assign a heading to the inbound controller (re: small aircraft X), but did no coordination about the localizer arrival. (The trainer was on autoplt and never took action to complete coordination.) we ended up scrambling to achieve sep on what should have been routine handling!!! Compounding the problem were 2 new controllers working the adjacent sector--giving us frequency changes on aircraft already into our airspace. This was an unsafe situation (our sector). The supervisor disregarded an agreement made with me during the previous week re: simultaneous training on radar and handoff position. However, in a foolish impulse not to be hardline, I did not refuse to allow the trnee to assume the handoff position as aggressively as I should have.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC TRAINING IN PROGRESS TRACON INTRAFAC COORD BREAKDOWN.

Narrative: I WAS TRNING A CTLR ON THE E ARR POS AT SAN APCH DURING HEAVY SUN AFTER TFC. THE TRNEE WILL RARELY SEE TFC IN THIS SECTOR. DURING THIS SESSION THE HDOF POS WAS STAFFED BY A JOURNEYMAN INITIALLY, BUT THE HDOF WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER TRNEE AND HIS INSTR. (THIS SAME STAFFING CONDITION OCCURRED ON THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND AND AFTER MY SESSION I HAD COMPLAINED TO THE SUPVR THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH REQUIRED ME TO WATCH MY TRNEE, THE HDOF TRNEE, AND THE HDOF TRAINER [WHO IS NOT AGGRESSIVE IN WATCHING WHAT HIS TRNEE IS DOING AT HDOF].) THE SUPVR AGREED WITH ME AND SAID THAT SUCH STAFFING WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN THE TRNEE AT HDOF SAT DOWN MY INITIAL INSTINCT WAS TO COMPLAIN TO THE SUPVR THAT THIS WAS A LESS THAN SATISFACTORY OPERATION. I LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM BUT SAW NO SUPVR PRESENT AND TFC WAS HEAVY ENOUGH NOT TO ALLOW THE TIME TO FOLLOW-UP. SUBSEQUENTLY I INSTRUCTED THE HDOF TRNEE TO ASSIGN A HDG TO SMA X (AN INBND TO OUR SECTOR) AND TO ADVISE THE ADJACENT CTLR OF TFC (SMA X) INBND ON THE GILLESPIE LOC. AS I DISCOVERED LATER, THE TRNEE AT HDOF DID ASSIGN A HDG TO THE INBND CTLR (RE: SMA X), BUT DID NO COORD ABOUT THE LOC ARR. (THE TRAINER WAS ON AUTOPLT AND NEVER TOOK ACTION TO COMPLETE COORD.) WE ENDED UP SCRAMBLING TO ACHIEVE SEP ON WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ROUTINE HANDLING!!! COMPOUNDING THE PROB WERE 2 NEW CTLRS WORKING THE ADJACENT SECTOR--GIVING US FREQ CHANGES ON ACFT ALREADY INTO OUR AIRSPACE. THIS WAS AN UNSAFE SITUATION (OUR SECTOR). THE SUPVR DISREGARDED AN AGREEMENT MADE WITH ME DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK RE: SIMULTANEOUS TRNING ON RADAR AND HDOF POS. HOWEVER, IN A FOOLISH IMPULSE NOT TO BE HARDLINE, I DID NOT REFUSE TO ALLOW THE TRNEE TO ASSUME THE HDOF POS AS AGGRESSIVELY AS I SHOULD HAVE.

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.