Telephone company radio jack at radar position was out of service causing controller to work sector ...

Attributes
ACN	153267
Time
Date	199008
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zme
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	153267
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
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	other physical facility

Narrative:

When sector 2, fyv low, was opened frequency 119.25 was inoperative. Instead of 119.25 OTS, the r-side was instructed to plug in the r-side jack between sector 2 and 3. This created several unsafe conditions. The d-side controller could not hear any xmissions being made. The r-side controller couldn't answer any landlines or green lights. The r-side and d-side are supposed to work as a team and this was impossible. Additionally, shirley MOA was scheduled for the majority of the 8 hour outage. The hro low controller, who normally works shirley MOA, was unable to communicate with aircraft operating in the MOA because if he selected the MOA frequency, he seized sector 2's frequencys where the r-side was plugged in. The fyv low r-side was instructed to communicate with shirley aircraft while working sector 2. Therefore, the fyv low right controller was forced to work aircraft in another sectors airspace. Supervisors were asked to cancel the shirley MOA because of the unsafe condition but they refused. Frequency outages are very routine, but this one was handled very unprofessionally and unsafely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TELCO RADIO JACK AT RADAR POSITION WAS OUT OF SERVICE CAUSING CTLR TO WORK SECTOR FROM ANOTHER JACK WHERE INTRAFAC COORD DID NOT WORK.

Narrative: WHEN SECTOR 2, FYV LOW, WAS OPENED FREQ 119.25 WAS INOP. INSTEAD OF 119.25 OTS, THE R-SIDE WAS INSTRUCTED TO PLUG IN THE R-SIDE JACK BTWN SECTOR 2 AND 3. THIS CREATED SEVERAL UNSAFE CONDITIONS. THE D-SIDE CTLR COULD NOT HEAR ANY XMISSIONS BEING MADE. THE R-SIDE CTLR COULDN'T ANSWER ANY LANDLINES OR GREEN LIGHTS. THE R-SIDE AND D-SIDE ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK AS A TEAM AND THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, SHIRLEY MOA WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE 8 HR OUTAGE. THE HRO LOW CTLR, WHO NORMALLY WORKS SHIRLEY MOA, WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT OPERATING IN THE MOA BECAUSE IF HE SELECTED THE MOA FREQ, HE SEIZED SECTOR 2'S FREQS WHERE THE R-SIDE WAS PLUGGED IN. THE FYV LOW R-SIDE WAS INSTRUCTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SHIRLEY ACFT WHILE WORKING SECTOR 2. THEREFORE, THE FYV LOW R CTLR WAS FORCED TO WORK ACFT IN ANOTHER SECTORS AIRSPACE. SUPVRS WERE ASKED TO CANCEL THE SHIRLEY MOA BECAUSE OF THE UNSAFE CONDITION BUT THEY REFUSED. FREQ OUTAGES ARE VERY ROUTINE, BUT THIS ONE WAS HANDLED VERY UNPROFESSIONALLY AND UNSAFELY.

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.

Telephone company radio jack at radar position was out of service causing controller to work sector from another jack where intrafac coordination did not work.