Narrative:

We have an ongoing battle between controllers at ZAU squib sector and mke TRACON. Airplanes are being used as pawns in this game -- which isn't right, and hence the reason why I write this. The problem surrounds arrival traffic into mke over brave intersection. Propellers are supposed to be at 8000 ft and jets at 10000 ft. This requirement is rarely met. Whenever we, the controllers, at mke complain about brave arrs, squib sector will play a retaliation game. They will impose unnecessary intrail restrs on eastbound departures from mke or they will simply ignore handoffs. I have had jets level at 10000 ft for 5 mi or more for no apparent reason, while squib sector controllers refuse to answer landline calls. Historically, ZAU has had to kowtow to ord approach (as have all of ord's boundary facilities). Consequently they've dumped on us and we've quietly taken it. Lately, in an effort to improve our efficiency, we have moved to a feeder/final confign. This has resulted in more consistent spacing on final, but also requires that aircraft be handled in accordance with the LOA. We cannot effectively deal with aircraft 5000 ft to 10000 ft higher than they should be. Beyond that, nothing -- absolutely nothing -- justifies the retaliatory actions taken by the center controllers. FAA management has been unable to deal with this problem. I have learned that most of the arrival problem is due to squib sector getting aircraft high and hot from kubbs sector. This is internal to ZAU and should be addressed by them. Myself, as an mke controller, should not be caused this undue stress and consternation by their inability to deal with internal difficulties, and moreover, the airlines and bizjets that fly this airspace should not be continually harmed by ZAU. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter described the poor relationship with ZAU as pretty severe over the past 4-6 months, usually not every day but often. On several occasions, he had witnessed the shift supervisor attempting to discuss an operational problem with ZAU, shouting on the phone, then hanging up. He said most of the other supervisors react the same way when coordinating or discussing operational problems with ZAU. He believes that there are no particular personality problems with any one but a lot of frustration with the way traffic is forced on them. He believes the ZAU squib sector is pushed by the ZAU kubbs sector with traffic high and hot which causes the squib to dump on mke. He said the local union representative has tried to help smooth relationships between facilities with some success. Also, upper management at mke is apparently aware of the situation but doesn't seem to get much done. Mgrs at mke are changed almost every yr resulting in the lack of management stability at the facility. It appears mke is a training facility for mgrs. He also said most of the supervisors at the facility came from the controller ranks. Asked if the situation has caused any serious incident, the reporter replied no. Also, there has not been any pilot complaints that he knows about.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLRS AT ZAU AND CTLRS AT MKE TRACON ARE NOT GETTING ALONG. RPTR STATES FAA MGMNT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE SIT. ARRS AND DEPS ARE BEING MISHANDLED AND GIVEN UNNECESSARY RESTRS.

Narrative: WE HAVE AN ONGOING BATTLE BTWN CTLRS AT ZAU SQUIB SECTOR AND MKE TRACON. AIRPLANES ARE BEING USED AS PAWNS IN THIS GAME -- WHICH ISN'T RIGHT, AND HENCE THE REASON WHY I WRITE THIS. THE PROB SURROUNDS ARR TFC INTO MKE OVER BRAVE INTXN. PROPS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 8000 FT AND JETS AT 10000 FT. THIS REQUIREMENT IS RARELY MET. WHENEVER WE, THE CTLRS, AT MKE COMPLAIN ABOUT BRAVE ARRS, SQUIB SECTOR WILL PLAY A RETALIATION GAME. THEY WILL IMPOSE UNNECESSARY INTRAIL RESTRS ON EBOUND DEPS FROM MKE OR THEY WILL SIMPLY IGNORE HDOFS. I HAVE HAD JETS LEVEL AT 10000 FT FOR 5 MI OR MORE FOR NO APPARENT REASON, WHILE SQUIB SECTOR CTLRS REFUSE TO ANSWER LANDLINE CALLS. HISTORICALLY, ZAU HAS HAD TO KOWTOW TO ORD APCH (AS HAVE ALL OF ORD'S BOUNDARY FACILITIES). CONSEQUENTLY THEY'VE DUMPED ON US AND WE'VE QUIETLY TAKEN IT. LATELY, IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCY, WE HAVE MOVED TO A FEEDER/FINAL CONFIGN. THIS HAS RESULTED IN MORE CONSISTENT SPACING ON FINAL, BUT ALSO REQUIRES THAT ACFT BE HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOA. WE CANNOT EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH ACFT 5000 FT TO 10000 FT HIGHER THAN THEY SHOULD BE. BEYOND THAT, NOTHING -- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING -- JUSTIFIES THE RETALIATORY ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CTR CTLRS. FAA MGMNT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS PROB. I HAVE LEARNED THAT MOST OF THE ARR PROB IS DUE TO SQUIB SECTOR GETTING ACFT HIGH AND HOT FROM KUBBS SECTOR. THIS IS INTERNAL TO ZAU AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THEM. MYSELF, AS AN MKE CTLR, SHOULD NOT BE CAUSED THIS UNDUE STRESS AND CONSTERNATION BY THEIR INABILITY TO DEAL WITH INTERNAL DIFFICULTIES, AND MOREOVER, THE AIRLINES AND BIZJETS THAT FLY THIS AIRSPACE SHOULD NOT BE CONTINUALLY HARMED BY ZAU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DESCRIBED THE POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH ZAU AS PRETTY SEVERE OVER THE PAST 4-6 MONTHS, USUALLY NOT EVERY DAY BUT OFTEN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HE HAD WITNESSED THE SHIFT SUPVR ATTEMPTING TO DISCUSS AN OPERATIONAL PROB WITH ZAU, SHOUTING ON THE PHONE, THEN HANGING UP. HE SAID MOST OF THE OTHER SUPVRS REACT THE SAME WAY WHEN COORDINATING OR DISCUSSING OPERATIONAL PROBS WITH ZAU. HE BELIEVES THAT THERE ARE NO PARTICULAR PERSONALITY PROBS WITH ANY ONE BUT A LOT OF FRUSTRATION WITH THE WAY TFC IS FORCED ON THEM. HE BELIEVES THE ZAU SQUIB SECTOR IS PUSHED BY THE ZAU KUBBS SECTOR WITH TFC HIGH AND HOT WHICH CAUSES THE SQUIB TO DUMP ON MKE. HE SAID THE LCL UNION REPRESENTATIVE HAS TRIED TO HELP SMOOTH RELATIONSHIPS BTWN FACILITIES WITH SOME SUCCESS. ALSO, UPPER MGMNT AT MKE IS APPARENTLY AWARE OF THE SIT BUT DOESN'T SEEM TO GET MUCH DONE. MGRS AT MKE ARE CHANGED ALMOST EVERY YR RESULTING IN THE LACK OF MGMNT STABILITY AT THE FACILITY. IT APPEARS MKE IS A TRAINING FACILITY FOR MGRS. HE ALSO SAID MOST OF THE SUPVRS AT THE FACILITY CAME FROM THE CTLR RANKS. ASKED IF THE SIT HAS CAUSED ANY SERIOUS INCIDENT, THE RPTR REPLIED NO. ALSO, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY PLT COMPLAINTS THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT.

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.