Narrative:

While working combined sectors and during a period of moderate traffic, several conversations about the status of the ATIS frequency occurred. At one particular time I had issued a turn to an aircraft departing a satellite airport to clear traffic. The aircraft accepted the turn which would take it in the direction of WX. A conversation about the ATIS frequency change with another aircraft started. While the other aircraft was talking, I observed the LR35 traffic turn southwest for the WX toward the traffic, a PA46. As soon as the other aircraft stopped its transmission, the LR35 was instructed to turn northwest, away from the WX and traffic. While no loss of separation occurred, only due to luck, this event could have resulted in an operational error. Some of the reasons for the event are as follows: 1) the ATIS frequency was changed and only a NOTAM left was issued. This has increased frequency congestion. 2) issuing the turn to the LR35 without giving a position on the traffic was not a good idea. With WX ahead I expected the pilot to deviate at some time. If I had given the position of the traffic, he may have elected to deviate northwest rather than south. 3) the real problem is the frequency change. It was quick and abrupt with no planning. It did not make it into any chart revisions and FSS refused our request to disseminate it distantly. Their only reason was their directives. Shouldn't logic play some part in NOTAM classification?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATIS FREQ CHANGE AND LACK OF NOTAM DISTRIBUTION CAUSED FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING COMBINED SECTORS AND DURING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TFC, SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ATIS FREQ OCCURRED. AT ONE PARTICULAR TIME I HAD ISSUED A TURN TO AN ACFT DEPARTING A SATELLITE ARPT TO CLR TFC. THE ACFT ACCEPTED THE TURN WHICH WOULD TAKE IT IN THE DIRECTION OF WX. A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ATIS FREQ CHANGE WITH ANOTHER ACFT STARTED. WHILE THE OTHER ACFT WAS TALKING, I OBSERVED THE LR35 TFC TURN SW FOR THE WX TOWARD THE TFC, A PA46. AS SOON AS THE OTHER ACFT STOPPED ITS XMISSION, THE LR35 WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN NW, AWAY FROM THE WX AND TFC. WHILE NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED, ONLY DUE TO LUCK, THIS EVENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN OPERROR. SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE EVENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) THE ATIS FREQ WAS CHANGED AND ONLY A NOTAM L WAS ISSUED. THIS HAS INCREASED FREQ CONGESTION. 2) ISSUING THE TURN TO THE LR35 WITHOUT GIVING A POS ON THE TFC WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA. WITH WX AHEAD I EXPECTED THE PLT TO DEVIATE AT SOME TIME. IF I HAD GIVEN THE POS OF THE TFC, HE MAY HAVE ELECTED TO DEVIATE NW RATHER THAN S. 3) THE REAL PROB IS THE FREQ CHANGE. IT WAS QUICK AND ABRUPT WITH NO PLANNING. IT DID NOT MAKE IT INTO ANY CHART REVISIONS AND FSS REFUSED OUR REQUEST TO DISSEMINATE IT DISTANTLY. THEIR ONLY REASON WAS THEIR DIRECTIVES. SHOULDN'T LOGIC PLAY SOME PART IN NOTAM CLASSIFICATION?

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.