ARTCC airspace realignment causes increased ARTCC intrafac coordination.

Attributes
ACN	167548
Time
Date	199101
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mrb
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	167548
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was working R15/01 (blue ridge and elkins) sectors combined. About one month ago a test procedure for turbo-propellers landing cxy and mdt was implemented in the a area of specialization. This procedure contained a realignment of airspace from the blr sector to the ldn sector (05). The airspace that was realigned cut off approximately 12 mi east of trixy intersection. This airspace is used many times when the 15 sector is busy; due to the fact of many complex situations arising within this sector, it is necessary to 'top' traffic with dca/adw/bwi/mtn/dov arrs, then 'dump', which leads to descending in high through the airspace that was given to 05 sector thus creating more coordination (point outs) with 3, 4, or sometimes 5 airplanes. This workload is a result from the airspace realignment and should be rectified before a system error occurs from incomplete coordination, which doesn't have to be there in the first place. The airspace is not a requirement for the test procedure to operate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC AIRSPACE REALIGNMENT CAUSES INCREASED ARTCC INTRAFAC COORD.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING R15/01 (BLUE RIDGE AND ELKINS) SECTORS COMBINED. ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO A TEST PROC FOR TURBO-PROPS LNDG CXY AND MDT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN THE A AREA OF SPECIALIZATION. THIS PROC CONTAINED A REALIGNMENT OF AIRSPACE FROM THE BLR SECTOR TO THE LDN SECTOR (05). THE AIRSPACE THAT WAS REALIGNED CUT OFF APPROX 12 MI E OF TRIXY INTXN. THIS AIRSPACE IS USED MANY TIMES WHEN THE 15 SECTOR IS BUSY; DUE TO THE FACT OF MANY COMPLEX SITUATIONS ARISING WITHIN THIS SECTOR, IT IS NECESSARY TO 'TOP' TFC WITH DCA/ADW/BWI/MTN/DOV ARRS, THEN 'DUMP', WHICH LEADS TO DSNDING IN HIGH THROUGH THE AIRSPACE THAT WAS GIVEN TO 05 SECTOR THUS CREATING MORE COORD (POINT OUTS) WITH 3, 4, OR SOMETIMES 5 AIRPLANES. THIS WORKLOAD IS A RESULT FROM THE AIRSPACE REALIGNMENT AND SHOULD BE RECTIFIED BEFORE A SYS ERROR OCCURS FROM INCOMPLETE COORD, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE AIRSPACE IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR THE TEST PROC TO OPERATE.

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.