Narrative:

The FAA has recently started the 'managed arrival reservoir' program, designed to issue airborne delays (holding) near the destination airport rather than ground delays at the point of departure. Since its inception and possibly due to winter WX patterns, this has resulted in excessive holding. To the ATC system, this translates to excessive workload, sector saturation, and traffic sits not currently consistent with procedures due to departures conflicting with arrival holding patterns at more altitudes (ie, tougher to climb departures 'above the stack'). Further current methods of monitoring sector saturation are ineffective (a recent error investigation showed 17 aircraft in the sector, flow control indicated only 7). To pilots, excessive holding creates the obvious problem of fuel consumption. Earlier today we faced aircraft arriving from the far east who had been in the air 9 plus hours hitting their holding limit and being forced to divert to alternate airports on more than 1 occasion. The stress caused to both the ATC system and the flcs because of this program are unnecessary. Ground delays may not be pleasant, but are far safer than this method. I hope that this can be addressed before a far more serious report must be filed. This is particularly hazardous during sfo's 'southeast plan' operations, common in winter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: called ZOA traffic management branch regarding report. Specialist advised that the program was implemented on or about jan/xx/95. The various airlines support the program and believe the air delays are more advantageous for them than ground delays. Specialist confirms that arrs from the pacific rtes who have been airborne for 10 plus hours do have to proceed to alternates sometimes. Airport capacity is a product of the WX system so arrival rates vary with the system. Specialist doesn't concur with reporter regarding capability of monitoring traffic saturation by tmc's, but does admit to busy traffic secessions during holding periods.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MANAGED ARR RESERVOIR PROGRAM CAUSED ACFT DIVERSIONS EXCESSIVE CTLR WORKLOAD.

Narrative: THE FAA HAS RECENTLY STARTED THE 'MANAGED ARR RESERVOIR' PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO ISSUE AIRBORNE DELAYS (HOLDING) NEAR THE DEST ARPT RATHER THAN GND DELAYS AT THE POINT OF DEP. SINCE ITS INCEPTION AND POSSIBLY DUE TO WINTER WX PATTERNS, THIS HAS RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE HOLDING. TO THE ATC SYS, THIS TRANSLATES TO EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD, SECTOR SATURATION, AND TFC SITS NOT CURRENTLY CONSISTENT WITH PROCS DUE TO DEPS CONFLICTING WITH ARR HOLDING PATTERNS AT MORE ALTS (IE, TOUGHER TO CLB DEPS 'ABOVE THE STACK'). FURTHER CURRENT METHODS OF MONITORING SECTOR SATURATION ARE INEFFECTIVE (A RECENT ERROR INVESTIGATION SHOWED 17 ACFT IN THE SECTOR, FLOW CTL INDICATED ONLY 7). TO PLTS, EXCESSIVE HOLDING CREATES THE OBVIOUS PROB OF FUEL CONSUMPTION. EARLIER TODAY WE FACED ACFT ARRIVING FROM THE FAR EAST WHO HAD BEEN IN THE AIR 9 PLUS HRS HITTING THEIR HOLDING LIMIT AND BEING FORCED TO DIVERT TO ALTERNATE ARPTS ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION. THE STRESS CAUSED TO BOTH THE ATC SYS AND THE FLCS BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM ARE UNNECESSARY. GND DELAYS MAY NOT BE PLEASANT, BUT ARE FAR SAFER THAN THIS METHOD. I HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A FAR MORE SERIOUS RPT MUST BE FILED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS DURING SFO'S 'SE PLAN' OPS, COMMON IN WINTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLED ZOA TFC MGMNT BRANCH REGARDING RPT. SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED ON OR ABOUT JAN/XX/95. THE VARIOUS AIRLINES SUPPORT THE PROGRAM AND BELIEVE THE AIR DELAYS ARE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM THAN GND DELAYS. SPECIALIST CONFIRMS THAT ARRS FROM THE PACIFIC RTES WHO HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE FOR 10 PLUS HRS DO HAVE TO PROCEED TO ALTERNATES SOMETIMES. ARPT CAPACITY IS A PRODUCT OF THE WX SYS SO ARR RATES VARY WITH THE SYS. SPECIALIST DOESN'T CONCUR WITH RPTR REGARDING CAPABILITY OF MONITORING TFC SATURATION BY TMC'S, BUT DOES ADMIT TO BUSY TFC SECESSIONS DURING HOLDING PERIODS.

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.