TRACON controller discovers facility management has not coordinated new changes to N7110 pt 183.

Attributes
ACN	419259
Time
Date	199811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n90
State Reference	NY
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8 flight time total : 450
ASRS Report	419259
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On nov/xa/98, controllers at the new york TRACON were unofficially notified of an official change to aircraft type designators. FAA notice N7110.183 was issued on jul/29/98 effective nov/5/98. It would seem reasonable that in excess of 3 months from issue date to implementation would be sufficient to notify the workforce of this important information. In addition, no change was made to the ARTS program, so the ARTS system does not recognize 'B752' as a B757, or 'B74R' as a B747 heavy, and therefore does not include the B757 or heavy jet designator onto the data tags. This may cause a serious wake turbulence encounter. I checked with the traffic management unit, and they verified that the aircraft situation display, which traffic management unit uses to monitor traffic volume and meter acceptance rates into the airports, was also affected by this (automation not updated). This could have led to sector and/or facility oversaturation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the training department failed to recognize and brief new changes to aircraft type designators. He advised that the following week, crew supervisors were given training material requiring controller review and acknowledgement prior to work. A temporary automation patch has been installed, waiting for the next national automation update change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR DISCOVERS FACILITY MGMNT HAS NOT COORDINATED NEW CHANGES TO N7110 PT 183.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/98, CTLRS AT THE NEW YORK TRACON WERE UNOFFICIALLY NOTIFIED OF AN OFFICIAL CHANGE TO ACFT TYPE DESIGNATORS. FAA NOTICE N7110.183 WAS ISSUED ON JUL/29/98 EFFECTIVE NOV/5/98. IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE THAT IN EXCESS OF 3 MONTHS FROM ISSUE DATE TO IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO NOTIFY THE WORKFORCE OF THIS IMPORTANT INFO. IN ADDITION, NO CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE ARTS PROGRAM, SO THE ARTS SYS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE 'B752' AS A B757, OR 'B74R' AS A B747 HVY, AND THEREFORE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE B757 OR HVY JET DESIGNATOR ONTO THE DATA TAGS. THIS MAY CAUSE A SERIOUS WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER. I CHKED WITH THE TFC MGMNT UNIT, AND THEY VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT SIT DISPLAY, WHICH TFC MGMNT UNIT USES TO MONITOR TFC VOLUME AND METER ACCEPTANCE RATES INTO THE ARPTS, WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS (AUTOMATION NOT UPDATED). THIS COULD HAVE LED TO SECTOR AND/OR FACILITY OVERSATURATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE TRAINING DEPT FAILED TO RECOGNIZE AND BRIEF NEW CHANGES TO ACFT TYPE DESIGNATORS. HE ADVISED THAT THE FOLLOWING WK, CREW SUPVRS WERE GIVEN TRAINING MATERIAL REQUIRING CTLR REVIEW AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PRIOR TO WORK. A TEMPORARY AUTOMATION PATCH HAS BEEN INSTALLED, WAITING FOR THE NEXT NATIONAL AUTOMATION UPDATE CHANGE.

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.