Supervisor complaint about new ARTS program that no one was briefed on. Information included in data...

Attributes
ACN	350537
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mci
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 12 controller supervisory : 1 flight time total : 125
ASRS Report	350537
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

A new ARTS program has been running for a few days. In a discussion with those 'in the know' prior to the implementation of this program running, we were told that the program would be transparent. That is, that as controllers we would see no change in our day-to-day environment. Well, we have seen changes. Rather significant ones at that. The ARTS data tags now have information in them about the rtes of IFR and VFR aircraft that no one was briefed on. No one knows for sure where these aircraft are to go as far as their gate assignments are concerned. The program should have been terminated and the old program should have been reinstalled as soon as this information about erroneous data tags came to light. A call to the manager in charge of the ARTS programs, leads me to believe that he knows nothing about what's going on! Controllers should always get a briefing on changes that affect how they do their work. In the meantime, the program continues to run and controllers are guessing where aircraft are to go!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUPVR COMPLAINT ABOUT NEW ARTS PROGRAM THAT NO ONE WAS BRIEFED ON. INFO INCLUDED IN DATA BLOCKS ON IFR AND VFR ACFT THAT IS CONFUSING. ARTS PROGRAM MGR ALSO NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW CHANGE TO THE PROGRAM.

Narrative: A NEW ARTS PROGRAM HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A FEW DAYS. IN A DISCUSSION WITH THOSE 'IN THE KNOW' PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM RUNNING, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD BE TRANSPARENT. THAT IS, THAT AS CTLRS WE WOULD SEE NO CHANGE IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT. WELL, WE HAVE SEEN CHANGES. RATHER SIGNIFICANT ONES AT THAT. THE ARTS DATA TAGS NOW HAVE INFO IN THEM ABOUT THE RTES OF IFR AND VFR ACFT THAT NO ONE WAS BRIEFED ON. NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHERE THESE ACFT ARE TO GO AS FAR AS THEIR GATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE CONCERNED. THE PROGRAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN TERMINATED AND THE OLD PROGRAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN REINSTALLED AS SOON AS THIS INFO ABOUT ERRONEOUS DATA TAGS CAME TO LIGHT. A CALL TO THE MGR IN CHARGE OF THE ARTS PROGRAMS, LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON! CTLRS SHOULD ALWAYS GET A BRIEFING ON CHANGES THAT AFFECT HOW THEY DO THEIR WORK. IN THE MEANTIME, THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO RUN AND CTLRS ARE GUESSING WHERE ACFT ARE TO GO!

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.

Supervisor complaint about new ARTS program that no one was briefed on. Information included in data blocks on IFR and VFR aircraft that is confusing. ARTS program manager also not familiar with the new change to the program.