Airspace design allocation between tower and TRACON not defined in facility LOA.

Attributes
ACN	315105
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rfd
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rfd
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6
ASRS Report	315105
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
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:

As of today, rfd tower and TRACON do not have any written information dividing or specifying who 'owns' what airspace within the delta surface area. We are all working on word of mouth, and everyone is not on the same page when it comes to who 'owns' what. Rfd needs to immediately put something in writing designating who 'owns' what airspace. Without this, the potential for loss of separation increases as the days go by, or even possibly worse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the facility delta area is not defined in the LOA. This area is the tower's automatic release area for departures. Reporter stated the facility is now working on defining this area in the LOA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRSPACE DESIGN ALLOCATION BTWN TWR AND TRACON NOT DEFINED IN FACILITY LOA.

Narrative: AS OF TODAY, RFD TWR AND TRACON DO NOT HAVE ANY WRITTEN INFO DIVIDING OR SPECIFYING WHO 'OWNS' WHAT AIRSPACE WITHIN THE DELTA SURFACE AREA. WE ARE ALL WORKING ON WORD OF MOUTH, AND EVERYONE IS NOT ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO WHO 'OWNS' WHAT. RFD NEEDS TO IMMEDIATELY PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING DESIGNATING WHO 'OWNS' WHAT AIRSPACE. WITHOUT THIS, THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF SEPARATION INCREASES AS THE DAYS GO BY, OR EVEN POSSIBLY WORSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE FACILITY DELTA AREA IS NOT DEFINED IN THE LOA. THIS AREA IS THE TWR'S AUTO RELEASE AREA FOR DEPS. RPTR STATED THE FACILITY IS NOW WORKING ON DEFINING THIS AREA IN THE LOA.

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.