Reported situation of controllers working high and low sectors and because the maps do not line up, ...

Attributes
ACN	399721
Time
Date	199804
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	399721
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Due to 7TH area training and being under staffed, we are now being required to work high and low altitude sectors at the same time. These sectors were not designed to be worked together and the maps don't line up. Because of all the clutter when both maps are displayed together, we are drawing 1 map on the radar with a grease pencil and viewing the other. This is not accurate and compromises safety. I witnessed an airspace violation caused by this situation. The map was drawn on the scope and then the map had been moved somehow and was off by about 15 mi. The drawn map showed the aircraft in our airspace when the actual map was pulled up we realized the aircraft was not in our airspace. His altitude was changed in another sector's airspace without coordination. We have never been trained to work this combination of high and low and the map designs make it complicated and unsafe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: there is a new video map displaying both high and low sectors. Reporter indicated they are gradually getting used to working the sectors together.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF CTLRS WORKING HIGH AND LOW SECTORS AND BECAUSE THE MAPS DO NOT LINE UP, 1 SECTOR IS DRAWN ON THE DISPLAY WITH GREASE PENCIL TO REDUCE CLUTTER. RPTR ALLEGES AN AIRSPACE DEV OCCURRED WHEN THE VIDEO MAP WAS MOVED AND AN ACFT WAS IN THE DRAWN MAP AREA WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY IN ANOTHER SECTOR'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DUE TO 7TH AREA TRAINING AND BEING UNDER STAFFED, WE ARE NOW BEING REQUIRED TO WORK HIGH AND LOW ALT SECTORS AT THE SAME TIME. THESE SECTORS WERE NOT DESIGNED TO BE WORKED TOGETHER AND THE MAPS DON'T LINE UP. BECAUSE OF ALL THE CLUTTER WHEN BOTH MAPS ARE DISPLAYED TOGETHER, WE ARE DRAWING 1 MAP ON THE RADAR WITH A GREASE PENCIL AND VIEWING THE OTHER. THIS IS NOT ACCURATE AND COMPROMISES SAFETY. I WITNESSED AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION CAUSED BY THIS SIT. THE MAP WAS DRAWN ON THE SCOPE AND THEN THE MAP HAD BEEN MOVED SOMEHOW AND WAS OFF BY ABOUT 15 MI. THE DRAWN MAP SHOWED THE ACFT IN OUR AIRSPACE WHEN THE ACTUAL MAP WAS PULLED UP WE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS NOT IN OUR AIRSPACE. HIS ALT WAS CHANGED IN ANOTHER SECTOR'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED TO WORK THIS COMBINATION OF HIGH AND LOW AND THE MAP DESIGNS MAKE IT COMPLICATED AND UNSAFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE IS A NEW VIDEO MAP DISPLAYING BOTH HIGH AND LOW SECTORS. RPTR INDICATED THEY ARE GRADUALLY GETTING USED TO WORKING THE SECTORS TOGETHER.

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.