 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ARTCC controller claims that a facility reorganization from 7 to 6 areas forces controllers to work both high and low sectors combined. The controller states that although some controllers have been trained, others have not received adequate training. Radar video maps have not been updated to the new sector configns.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398021 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 16 flight time total : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 398021 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
I was working mlc high and low combined. After a recent reorganization from 6 to 7 areas, we were forced to work high and low sectors combined. Some controllers work this combination on a regular basis but were trained to do so. For 16 yrs I have never worked this combination and have heard several controllers refer to it as confusing. To make matters worse, they combined all of the information displayed on both the high and low maps and the amount of data is almost unbearable. To prove this, after we combined sectors after XP00, all 3 high/low combinations (okc, adm, mlc) had the low maps displayed and a grease pencil marking their high altitude lateral boundaries. This has become SOP for most controllers and management doesn't plan a fix until april. Controllers are so used to making stupid ideas work that this glaring oversight appears almost normal. Our old standards are being eroded, first in small chunks and now in large ones.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC CTLR CLAIMS THAT A FACILITY REORGANIZATION FROM 7 TO 6 AREAS FORCES CTLRS TO WORK BOTH HIGH AND LOW SECTORS COMBINED. THE CTLR STATES THAT ALTHOUGH SOME CTLRS HAVE BEEN TRAINED, OTHERS HAVE NOT RECEIVED ADEQUATE TRAINING. RADAR VIDEO MAPS HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED TO THE NEW SECTOR CONFIGNS.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING MLC HIGH AND LOW COMBINED. AFTER A RECENT REORGANIZATION FROM 6 TO 7 AREAS, WE WERE FORCED TO WORK HIGH AND LOW SECTORS COMBINED. SOME CTLRS WORK THIS COMBINATION ON A REGULAR BASIS BUT WERE TRAINED TO DO SO. FOR 16 YRS I HAVE NEVER WORKED THIS COMBINATION AND HAVE HEARD SEVERAL CTLRS REFER TO IT AS CONFUSING. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THEY COMBINED ALL OF THE INFO DISPLAYED ON BOTH THE HIGH AND LOW MAPS AND THE AMOUNT OF DATA IS ALMOST UNBEARABLE. TO PROVE THIS, AFTER WE COMBINED SECTORS AFTER XP00, ALL 3 HIGH/LOW COMBINATIONS (OKC, ADM, MLC) HAD THE LOW MAPS DISPLAYED AND A GREASE PENCIL MARKING THEIR HIGH ALT LATERAL BOUNDARIES. THIS HAS BECOME SOP FOR MOST CTLRS AND MGMNT DOESN'T PLAN A FIX UNTIL APRIL. CTLRS ARE SO USED TO MAKING STUPID IDEAS WORK THAT THIS GLARING OVERSIGHT APPEARS ALMOST NORMAL. OUR OLD STANDARDS ARE BEING ERODED, FIRST IN SMALL CHUNKS AND NOW IN LARGE ONES.
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.