Narrative:

The unarm sector at ZTL works aircraft into clt from the southwest as well as departures from clt to the west. Inbound aircraft are cleared via the unarm arrival. The holding fix is at the unarm intersection (clt 232 degree radial, 47 DME). The crossing fix is adena (clt 232 degree radial, 40 DME), which is at clt approach control boundary. Clt was operating on a south operation and ZTL was providing 5 mi in trail with no speed restr on arrs. Aircraft are cleared to cross adena at 12000 ft on a south operation. Arrs 'punch into the side' of approach airspace as they own 12000 ft and below. There are 'turn around areas' depicted on the LOA annexs to protect for holding pattern airspace at 11000 ft and 12000 ft. These areas are not depicted on the radar map on the scope. Aircraft #1 was an inbound to clt at 12000 ft in an automated handoff mode to approach. When the aircraft was inside of unarm, I attempted a manual handoff to approach and was told by the arrival controller, 'we are turning the airport around, I'm holding and I was told not to take any more handoffs.' he did not say who told him this. By this time, aircraft #1 was approaching the boundary. Aircraft #1 was turned around to a 270 degree heading and the following arrival was vectored off the arrival for the pattern. Second arrival was only 6-7 mi from unarm and could not enter the pattern. 2 other arrs were cleared into hold without ideal transition time for the pilots. During this time, there were several other aircraft in the sector. Aircraft #1 missed his original vector (or in haste, I missed his readback) and was again turned out of clt airspace and climbed to 13000 ft. 3 mins later, we returned to running 10 mi in trail to clt approach. All arrs were vectored back toward clt. Corrective actions: 1) since the advent of tmu's, direct controller-to- controller interface between facilities has been discouraged. In this instance, it is my belief that when the decision to turn the airport around was made, this information flowed from the clt supervisor to clt through to ZTL tmu to my supervisor to me. This is unacceptable in a time critical situation such as this. Clt arrival controller should have had the freedom to inform me personally when he knew he would not be accepting any more aircraft. 2) except under emergency conditions, approach controls should take any aircraft on arrival rtes once they are inside of the holding fix. 3) procedures requiring arrs to 'punch' approach airspace should be reviewed to see if there is some way to alleviate the built-in possibility of a system deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR CONCERNED WITH INTERFAC COORD WHEN HE HAS TO VECTOR ACFT CLR OF APCH CTL AIRSPACE DUE TO LAST MIN COORD FROM TRACON.

Narrative: THE UNARM SECTOR AT ZTL WORKS ACFT INTO CLT FROM THE SW AS WELL AS DEPS FROM CLT TO THE W. INBOUND ACFT ARE CLRED VIA THE UNARM ARR. THE HOLDING FIX IS AT THE UNARM INTXN (CLT 232 DEG RADIAL, 47 DME). THE XING FIX IS ADENA (CLT 232 DEG RADIAL, 40 DME), WHICH IS AT CLT APCH CTL BOUNDARY. CLT WAS OPERATING ON A S OP AND ZTL WAS PROVIDING 5 MI IN TRAIL WITH NO SPD RESTR ON ARRS. ACFT ARE CLRED TO CROSS ADENA AT 12000 FT ON A S OP. ARRS 'PUNCH INTO THE SIDE' OF APCH AIRSPACE AS THEY OWN 12000 FT AND BELOW. THERE ARE 'TURN AROUND AREAS' DEPICTED ON THE LOA ANNEXS TO PROTECT FOR HOLDING PATTERN AIRSPACE AT 11000 FT AND 12000 FT. THESE AREAS ARE NOT DEPICTED ON THE RADAR MAP ON THE SCOPE. ACFT #1 WAS AN INBOUND TO CLT AT 12000 FT IN AN AUTOMATED HDOF MODE TO APCH. WHEN THE ACFT WAS INSIDE OF UNARM, I ATTEMPTED A MANUAL HDOF TO APCH AND WAS TOLD BY THE ARR CTLR, 'WE ARE TURNING THE ARPT AROUND, I'M HOLDING AND I WAS TOLD NOT TO TAKE ANY MORE HDOFS.' HE DID NOT SAY WHO TOLD HIM THIS. BY THIS TIME, ACFT #1 WAS APCHING THE BOUNDARY. ACFT #1 WAS TURNED AROUND TO A 270 DEG HDG AND THE FOLLOWING ARR WAS VECTORED OFF THE ARR FOR THE PATTERN. SECOND ARR WAS ONLY 6-7 MI FROM UNARM AND COULD NOT ENTER THE PATTERN. 2 OTHER ARRS WERE CLRED INTO HOLD WITHOUT IDEAL TRANSITION TIME FOR THE PLTS. DURING THIS TIME, THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN THE SECTOR. ACFT #1 MISSED HIS ORIGINAL VECTOR (OR IN HASTE, I MISSED HIS READBACK) AND WAS AGAIN TURNED OUT OF CLT AIRSPACE AND CLBED TO 13000 FT. 3 MINS LATER, WE RETURNED TO RUNNING 10 MI IN TRAIL TO CLT APCH. ALL ARRS WERE VECTORED BACK TOWARD CLT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) SINCE THE ADVENT OF TMU'S, DIRECT CTLR-TO- CTLR INTERFACE BTWN FACILITIES HAS BEEN DISCOURAGED. IN THIS INSTANCE, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WHEN THE DECISION TO TURN THE ARPT AROUND WAS MADE, THIS INFO FLOWED FROM THE CLT SUPVR TO CLT THROUGH TO ZTL TMU TO MY SUPVR TO ME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A TIME CRITICAL SIT SUCH AS THIS. CLT ARR CTLR SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FREEDOM TO INFORM ME PERSONALLY WHEN HE KNEW HE WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTING ANY MORE ACFT. 2) EXCEPT UNDER EMER CONDITIONS, APCH CTLS SHOULD TAKE ANY ACFT ON ARR RTES ONCE THEY ARE INSIDE OF THE HOLDING FIX. 3) PROCS REQUIRING ARRS TO 'PUNCH' APCH AIRSPACE SHOULD BE REVIEWED TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME WAY TO ALLEVIATE THE BUILT-IN POSSIBILITY OF A SYS DEV.

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.