Narrative:

I was working the VFR arrival sector at phx approach (120.7). Due to an excessive volume of traffic on most sectors, and departure delays being encountered by phx tower, the VFR arrs were being held. I had 3 different holding patterns in use (VFR) in a very limited amount of airspace. Scottsdale tower calls for an IFR release of an mdt X off runway 3. No problem, I let the aircraft go. When I idented the aircraft on radar, he is climbing like a home sick angel. I hand the aircraft off to the next sector so the climb may be continued to 10000 ft, initial altitude assignment is 5000 ft. The aircraft is supposed to fly heading 260 degrees to intercept the pxr 336 degree radial outbound. To make a long story short, the aircraft is climbing very rapidly, continues his left turn and overshoots the pxr 336 degree radial. In the meantime, the north arrival controller is busy because the final controller isn't taking handoffs, so the arrival controller has aircraft from one arrival fix outbound to another arrival fix. Due to my traffic saturation, I do not see the arrival aircraft, and when north departure takes the handoff on the mdt X, I figure all conflicts are resolved. What caused this error? Obviously I am at fault. However, the phx terminal airspace and in-house procedures are a total abomination. We don't fix bad procedures, we just throw another bandaid on the problem. We have the FAA handbook 7110.65 which tells us how to control airplanes and keep them separated. Then we have a facility book that tells us how to get around the 7110.65. The fact that on this night, or any night for that matter, is the total saturation of airspace. When the tower has departures to go, they must go. The FAA only counts departure delays, not the delays incurred by arrival aircraft because of numerous delay vectors and speed control. The FAA would rather explain an operational error rather than a departure delay. Additionally, the airspace is so cut up and sectorized, it almost takes more concentration to remember your own airspace than it does to separate airplanes. Some sectors can go up to a boundary line while the next sector must maintain the 3 mi limit. The bottom line is that someone needs to take a long hard look at the deregulation of procedures in the phx terminal airspace and the assignment of airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR HAS LTSS WITH A DEP AND AN ARR. BLAMES WORKLOAD AND PROC.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE VFR ARR SECTOR AT PHX APCH (120.7). DUE TO AN EXCESSIVE VOLUME OF TFC ON MOST SECTORS, AND DEP DELAYS BEING ENCOUNTERED BY PHX TWR, THE VFR ARRS WERE BEING HELD. I HAD 3 DIFFERENT HOLDING PATTERNS IN USE (VFR) IN A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF AIRSPACE. SCOTTSDALE TWR CALLS FOR AN IFR RELEASE OF AN MDT X OFF RWY 3. NO PROB, I LET THE ACFT GO. WHEN I IDENTED THE ACFT ON RADAR, HE IS CLBING LIKE A HOME SICK ANGEL. I HAND THE ACFT OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR SO THE CLB MAY BE CONTINUED TO 10000 FT, INITIAL ALT ASSIGNMENT IS 5000 FT. THE ACFT IS SUPPOSED TO FLY HDG 260 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE PXR 336 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THE ACFT IS CLBING VERY RAPIDLY, CONTINUES HIS L TURN AND OVERSHOOTS THE PXR 336 DEG RADIAL. IN THE MEANTIME, THE N ARR CTLR IS BUSY BECAUSE THE FINAL CTLR ISN'T TAKING HDOFS, SO THE ARR CTLR HAS ACFT FROM ONE ARR FIX OUTBOUND TO ANOTHER ARR FIX. DUE TO MY TFC SATURATION, I DO NOT SEE THE ARR ACFT, AND WHEN N DEP TAKES THE HDOF ON THE MDT X, I FIGURE ALL CONFLICTS ARE RESOLVED. WHAT CAUSED THIS ERROR? OBVIOUSLY I AM AT FAULT. HOWEVER, THE PHX TERMINAL AIRSPACE AND IN-HOUSE PROCS ARE A TOTAL ABOMINATION. WE DON'T FIX BAD PROCS, WE JUST THROW ANOTHER BANDAID ON THE PROB. WE HAVE THE FAA HANDBOOK 7110.65 WHICH TELLS US HOW TO CTL AIRPLANES AND KEEP THEM SEPARATED. THEN WE HAVE A FACILITY BOOK THAT TELLS US HOW TO GET AROUND THE 7110.65. THE FACT THAT ON THIS NIGHT, OR ANY NIGHT FOR THAT MATTER, IS THE TOTAL SATURATION OF AIRSPACE. WHEN THE TWR HAS DEPS TO GO, THEY MUST GO. THE FAA ONLY COUNTS DEP DELAYS, NOT THE DELAYS INCURRED BY ARR ACFT BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS DELAY VECTORS AND SPD CTL. THE FAA WOULD RATHER EXPLAIN AN OPERROR RATHER THAN A DEP DELAY. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRSPACE IS SO CUT UP AND SECTORIZED, IT ALMOST TAKES MORE CONCENTRATION TO REMEMBER YOUR OWN AIRSPACE THAN IT DOES TO SEPARATE AIRPLANES. SOME SECTORS CAN GO UP TO A BOUNDARY LINE WHILE THE NEXT SECTOR MUST MAINTAIN THE 3 MI LIMIT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT THE DEREGULATION OF PROCS IN THE PHX TERMINAL AIRSPACE AND THE ASSIGNMENT OF AIRSPACE.

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.