Two anchorage center controllers reported problems related to sigmets and volcanic ash.

Attributes
ACN	1411264
Time
Date	201612
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZAN.ARTCC
State Reference	AK
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Widebody Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 6
Person 2
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 22
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence

Narrative:

Volcanic ash (va) SIGMET juliet 1 and kilo 4 both associated with mount bogoslof eruption. This event has exposed multiple holes in our weather dissemination system. Va was from surface up to FL350. Our means of disseminating the va in advanced technologies and oceanic procedures (atop) often is creating airspace reservations and having the system send the info automatically. The 'sep' setting on these 2 sigmets for about 6 hours was set at zero as opposed to standard setting of 150 NM. Many aircraft flew within 150 miles of the actual ash cloud and did not get the SIGMET. Unless the plane flew into the actual SIGMET area; the cloud; they did not receive the SIGMET.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Two Anchorage Center Controllers reported problems related to SIGMETS and volcanic ash.

Narrative: Volcanic Ash (VA) SIGMET Juliet 1 and Kilo 4 both associated with Mount Bogoslof eruption. This event has exposed multiple holes in our weather dissemination system. VA was from surface up to FL350. Our means of disseminating the VA in Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) often is creating airspace reservations and having the system send the info automatically. The 'Sep' setting on these 2 SIGMETs for about 6 hours was set at zero as opposed to standard setting of 150 NM. Many aircraft flew within 150 miles of the actual ash cloud and did not get the SIGMET. Unless the plane flew into the actual SIGMET area; the cloud; they did not receive the SIGMET.

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.