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Controller complains about lack of phone capabiility with adjacent military facility controlling warning area airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 151296 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fmh |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 151296 |
| 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 | Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Otis approach (falmouth, ma) about W105 south of cape cod at 10000' and below. W105 is actively controled by a military radar unit (mru) during the day between 0600 to approximately 1900 local daily. No 'handoff' line is available to the otis controller to handoff or coordination with the mru. If aircraft enter or exit the warning area to the north (probably 80 percent of all participating aircraft depart and recover from /to otis) then the boston center controller either has to climb the aircraft to 11000' to enter center altitudes or act as the third man or coordination between 2 other control facs, thus becoming unjustifiably implicated in a coordination triangle with aircraft that will not even enter his airspace. The otis approach control supervisor, not the controller at the radar position, can call a commercial telephone number to call the mru supervisor. This is similar to having my supervisor being able to contact an air carrier dispatch via a pay phone. Is in inconsistent and illogical for an ATC facility to not be provided direct access and timely communications ability to the controller working adjacent airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states that at this time the radar coverage at otis prevents them from taking radar handoffs directly from the military facility, however, an ASR-9 radar system is planned in the future that would provide adequate coverage into the warning airspace. At the present time the military facility must climb some aircraft and handoff to the center. The center then must get the aircraft down to 11000' and handoff to approach control. Most of the center controllers don't want to work these aircraft and the approach control facility can't work them because of coverage, there is no direct line from approach control to the military facility. The center also had alot of traffic along J62/J79 normally above 15000' that may be a factor. Approach control runs about 8 aircraft per day into this area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT LACK OF PHONE CAPABIILITY WITH ADJACENT MIL FAC CONTROLLING WARNING AREA AIRSPACE.
Narrative: OTIS APCH (FALMOUTH, MA) ABOUT W105 S OF CAPE COD AT 10000' AND BELOW. W105 IS ACTIVELY CTLED BY A MIL RADAR UNIT (MRU) DURING THE DAY BTWN 0600 TO APPROX 1900 LCL DAILY. NO 'HDOF' LINE IS AVAILABLE TO THE OTIS CTLR TO HDOF OR COORD WITH THE MRU. IF ACFT ENTER OR EXIT THE WARNING AREA TO THE N (PROBABLY 80 PERCENT OF ALL PARTICIPATING ACFT DEPART AND RECOVER FROM /TO OTIS) THEN THE BOSTON CTR CTLR EITHER HAS TO CLB THE ACFT TO 11000' TO ENTER CTR ALTS OR ACT AS THE THIRD MAN OR COORD BTWN 2 OTHER CTL FACS, THUS BECOMING UNJUSTIFIABLY IMPLICATED IN A COORD TRIANGLE WITH ACFT THAT WILL NOT EVEN ENTER HIS AIRSPACE. THE OTIS APCH CTL SUPVR, NOT THE CTLR AT THE RADAR POS, CAN CALL A COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL THE MRU SUPVR. THIS IS SIMILAR TO HAVING MY SUPVR BEING ABLE TO CONTACT AN ACR DISPATCH VIA A PAY PHONE. IS IN INCONSISTENT AND ILLOGICAL FOR AN ATC FAC TO NOT BE PROVIDED DIRECT ACCESS AND TIMELY COMS ABILITY TO THE CTLR WORKING ADJACENT AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THAT AT THIS TIME THE RADAR COVERAGE AT OTIS PREVENTS THEM FROM TAKING RADAR HDOFS DIRECTLY FROM THE MIL FAC, HOWEVER, AN ASR-9 RADAR SYS IS PLANNED IN THE FUTURE THAT WOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE COVERAGE INTO THE WARNING AIRSPACE. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE MIL FAC MUST CLB SOME ACFT AND HDOF TO THE CTR. THE CTR THEN MUST GET THE ACFT DOWN TO 11000' AND HDOF TO APCH CTL. MOST OF THE CTR CTLRS DON'T WANT TO WORK THESE ACFT AND THE APCH CTL FAC CAN'T WORK THEM BECAUSE OF COVERAGE, THERE IS NO DIRECT LINE FROM APCH CTL TO THE MIL FAC. THE CTR ALSO HAD ALOT OF TFC ALONG J62/J79 NORMALLY ABOVE 15000' THAT MAY BE A FACTOR. APCH CTL RUNS ABOUT 8 ACFT PER DAY INTO THIS AREA.
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.