Narrative:

1993 is the second yr roswell industrial air center has hosted the military exercise 'roving sands.' some time in the fall of 1992, someone in the FAA at the regional level or higher, decided that a united states military mobile TRACON would be useful in this exercise. This decision was made with zero input from either local management or the union. Natca's immediate and steadfast recommendation upon finding out about the military approach control was 100 percent against. This was voiced at a meeting in nov/92. The military assured roswell tower that all controllers would be familiar with the airspace and all equipment would work properly. Natca was unsuccessful in its negotiations to stop the temporary radar approach. When the military took over the approach control on may/xx the direct communication to the tower was still not working. Even at the end of the operation, the direct communication was marginal. In addition, there was never direct controller-to-controller communication because the information went from the approach controller to a flight data aide in the TRACON, to a flight data aide in the tower, to the tower controller. The military controllers, which were deployed, were not familiar with the airspace and most were last min assignments with the use of military reservists. The service to the flying public was awful. Most GA traffic refused to take the radar advisories after a few days. There were great delays of IFR aircraft and for the most past everything moved much slower than non radar approach. This was not always the case, however, because there were at least 2 operrors -- one of which was a near miss which went unrpted. A system of using only 1 runway was finally started by the tower which stopped the close calls, but further slowed down the traffic. As for the military operation itself, the TRACON did little to help the military returning aircraft and did not sequence the non participating aircraft for the tower. The local controller had to do that himself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NON RADAR APCH FACILITY GETS A MOBILE TRACON OPERATED BY MIL CTLRS TO RUN A MIL EXERCISE AT ARPT.

Narrative: 1993 IS THE SECOND YR ROSWELL INDUSTRIAL AIR CTR HAS HOSTED THE MIL EXERCISE 'ROVING SANDS.' SOME TIME IN THE FALL OF 1992, SOMEONE IN THE FAA AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL OR HIGHER, DECIDED THAT A UNITED STATES MIL MOBILE TRACON WOULD BE USEFUL IN THIS EXERCISE. THIS DECISION WAS MADE WITH ZERO INPUT FROM EITHER LCL MGMNT OR THE UNION. NATCA'S IMMEDIATE AND STEADFAST RECOMMENDATION UPON FINDING OUT ABOUT THE MIL APCH CTL WAS 100 PERCENT AGAINST. THIS WAS VOICED AT A MEETING IN NOV/92. THE MIL ASSURED ROSWELL TWR THAT ALL CTLRS WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSPACE AND ALL EQUIP WOULD WORK PROPERLY. NATCA WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN ITS NEGOTIATIONS TO STOP THE TEMPORARY RADAR APCH. WHEN THE MIL TOOK OVER THE APCH CTL ON MAY/XX THE DIRECT COM TO THE TWR WAS STILL NOT WORKING. EVEN AT THE END OF THE OP, THE DIRECT COM WAS MARGINAL. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NEVER DIRECT CTLR-TO-CTLR COM BECAUSE THE INFO WENT FROM THE APCH CTLR TO A FLT DATA AIDE IN THE TRACON, TO A FLT DATA AIDE IN THE TWR, TO THE TWR CTLR. THE MIL CTLRS, WHICH WERE DEPLOYED, WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSPACE AND MOST WERE LAST MIN ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE USE OF MIL RESERVISTS. THE SVC TO THE FLYING PUBLIC WAS AWFUL. MOST GA TFC REFUSED TO TAKE THE RADAR ADVISORIES AFTER A FEW DAYS. THERE WERE GREAT DELAYS OF IFR ACFT AND FOR THE MOST PAST EVERYTHING MOVED MUCH SLOWER THAN NON RADAR APCH. THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THERE WERE AT LEAST 2 OPERRORS -- ONE OF WHICH WAS A NEAR MISS WHICH WENT UNRPTED. A SYS OF USING ONLY 1 RWY WAS FINALLY STARTED BY THE TWR WHICH STOPPED THE CLOSE CALLS, BUT FURTHER SLOWED DOWN THE TFC. AS FOR THE MIL OP ITSELF, THE TRACON DID LITTLE TO HELP THE MIL RETURNING ACFT AND DID NOT SEQUENCE THE NON PARTICIPATING ACFT FOR THE TWR. THE LCL CTLR HAD TO DO THAT HIMSELF.

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.