ARTCC radar controller complaint about the amount of flight progress strips generated by the compute...

Attributes
ACN	350558
Time
Date	199610
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zbw
State Reference	MA
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Route In Use	enroute airway : zbw
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 14
ASRS Report	350558
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Due to the inabilities of the software and also the software engineers the radar team concept described in the air traffic procedures handbook (7110.65 paragraph 2-10-1), does not and cannot exist. During periods of moderate traffic levels in the en route environment the radar associate controller is spending the majority of his time ripping strips generated by the host computer printed at each sector. By conservative estimates more than 50 percent of the printed strips are not needed and discarded. On sun evening an operational error occurred at the danbury sector in ZBW. The radar controller was moderately busy. Unfortunately the radar associate controller was very busy ripping mostly unneeded flight progress strips. Had he been able to concentrate his efforts more on the radar scope helping the radar controller this operational error may very well have been averted. This is not an isolated incident. Several requests have been made during the last few yrs to reduce the amount of unneeded strips with very little success. The most recent request was for more than 30 unneeded strips that should have occurred on the oct chart change date. Only one of these unneeded strips has been eliminated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FLT PROGRESS STRIPS GENERATED BY THE COMPUTER AND THE DISTR IT CAUSES THE CTLRS IN RIPPING OFF THE UNNECESSARY STRIPS. RPTR ALLEGES THIS CAUSED A SYS ERROR.

Narrative: DUE TO THE INABILITIES OF THE SOFTWARE AND ALSO THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS THE RADAR TEAM CONCEPT DESCRIBED IN THE AIR TFC PROCS HANDBOOK (7110.65 PARAGRAPH 2-10-1), DOES NOT AND CANNOT EXIST. DURING PERIODS OF MODERATE TFC LEVELS IN THE ENRTE ENVIRONMENT THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR IS SPENDING THE MAJORITY OF HIS TIME RIPPING STRIPS GENERATED BY THE HOST COMPUTER PRINTED AT EACH SECTOR. BY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE PRINTED STRIPS ARE NOT NEEDED AND DISCARDED. ON SUN EVENING AN OPERROR OCCURRED AT THE DANBURY SECTOR IN ZBW. THE RADAR CTLR WAS MODERATELY BUSY. UNFORTUNATELY THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY RIPPING MOSTLY UNNEEDED FLT PROGRESS STRIPS. HAD HE BEEN ABLE TO CONCENTRATE HIS EFFORTS MORE ON THE RADAR SCOPE HELPING THE RADAR CTLR THIS OPERROR MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN AVERTED. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SEVERAL REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE DURING THE LAST FEW YRS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF UNNEEDED STRIPS WITH VERY LITTLE SUCCESS. THE MOST RECENT REQUEST WAS FOR MORE THAN 30 UNNEEDED STRIPS THAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED ON THE OCT CHART CHANGE DATE. ONLY ONE OF THESE UNNEEDED STRIPS HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

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.

ARTCC radar controller complaint about the amount of flight progress strips generated by the computer and the distraction it causes the controllers in ripping off the unnecessary strips. Reporter alleges this caused a system error.