Controller complains about newly implemented departure gate procedures.

Attributes
ACN	223489
Time
Date	199210
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm
State Reference	AL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bhm
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18
ASRS Report	223489
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	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Effective this date bhm manager implemented gate procedures within the bhm airspace. During heavy traffic with 4 consecutive hours of plus 70 operations, the workload and complexity was doubled due to the restrictive location of the departure gates on a runway 23/18 operations. The north controller is forced to turn the majority of his departures back into and to climb through all of the inbounds. Tower must delay departures since all traffic going to bna/cha/bwa north to northeast must exit on a 060 heading out the same gate. Spacing must be provided by local control. When runway 5/36 in use the problem is now with the south controller. Due to the increased workload caused by the location or lack of suitable gates, the safety of all traffic in the bhm airspace is being compromised.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT NEWLY IMPLEMENTED DEP GATE PROCS.

Narrative: EFFECTIVE THIS DATE BHM MGR IMPLEMENTED GATE PROCS WITHIN THE BHM AIRSPACE. DURING HVY TFC WITH 4 CONSECUTIVE HRS OF PLUS 70 OPS, THE WORKLOAD AND COMPLEXITY WAS DOUBLED DUE TO THE RESTRICTIVE LOCATION OF THE DEP GATES ON A RWY 23/18 OPS. THE N CTLR IS FORCED TO TURN THE MAJORITY OF HIS DEPS BACK INTO AND TO CLB THROUGH ALL OF THE INBOUNDS. TWR MUST DELAY DEPS SINCE ALL TFC GOING TO BNA/CHA/BWA N TO NE MUST EXIT ON A 060 HDG OUT THE SAME GATE. SPACING MUST BE PROVIDED BY LCL CTL. WHEN RWY 5/36 IN USE THE PROBLEM IS NOW WITH THE S CTLR. DUE TO THE INCREASED WORKLOAD CAUSED BY THE LOCATION OR LACK OF SUITABLE GATES, THE SAFETY OF ALL TFC IN THE BHM AIRSPACE IS BEING COMPROMISED.

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.