Reporter alleges there were no briefings or procedures established for a temporary tower and airspac...

Attributes
ACN	383060
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	383060
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While I am not aware of a specific instance of an aircraft incident relating to this event, it is a hazardous situation. On oct/xx/97, a temporary ATC tower was in operation at the sebring airport. This airport is normally uncontrolled. The overlying airspace is controled by ZMA sector 66 surface 3000 ft and 45 ft above 3000 ft. The controllers were not briefed that a tower would be operating and had not coordinated the release of any airspace. The first time they had any information that the tower existed is when the controller working the radar associate position received a call from the tower controller requesting a clearance. Throughout the weekend, the tower operated without any established procedures regarding inbounds or airspace. I have enclosed a copy of the only briefing materials relating to this issue, however it makes no mention of a tower and is effective the day after we became aware that the tower was in operation and the tower may have been put in place to accommodate the traffic associated with one special event rather than another.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES THERE WERE NO BRIEFINGS OR PROCS ESTABLISHED FOR A TEMPORARY TWR AND AIRSPACE SET UP PRIOR TO AN 8 DAY SPECIAL EVENT AT THE SEF ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE I AM NOT AWARE OF A SPECIFIC INSTANCE OF AN ACFT INCIDENT RELATING TO THIS EVENT, IT IS A HAZARDOUS SIT. ON OCT/XX/97, A TEMPORARY ATC TWR WAS IN OP AT THE SEBRING ARPT. THIS ARPT IS NORMALLY UNCTLED. THE OVERLYING AIRSPACE IS CTLED BY ZMA SECTOR 66 SURFACE 3000 FT AND 45 FT ABOVE 3000 FT. THE CTLRS WERE NOT BRIEFED THAT A TWR WOULD BE OPERATING AND HAD NOT COORDINATED THE RELEASE OF ANY AIRSPACE. THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD ANY INFO THAT THE TWR EXISTED IS WHEN THE CTLR WORKING THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE TWR CTLR REQUESTING A CLRNC. THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, THE TWR OPERATED WITHOUT ANY ESTABLISHED PROCS REGARDING INBOUNDS OR AIRSPACE. I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF THE ONLY BRIEFING MATERIALS RELATING TO THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER IT MAKES NO MENTION OF A TWR AND IS EFFECTIVE THE DAY AFTER WE BECAME AWARE THAT THE TWR WAS IN OP AND THE TWR MAY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO ACCOMMODATE THE TFC ASSOCIATED WITH ONE SPECIAL EVENT RATHER THAN ANOTHER.

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.

Reporter alleges there were no briefings or procedures established for a temporary tower and airspace set up prior to an 8 day special event at the sef airport.