Narrative:

A recent reassessment of MVA's throughout ZFW resulted in MVA's for areas outside ZFW airspace being deleted. A request to restore the deleted MVA's has been met with active resistance. Not having the MVA's for areas outside ZFW creates a major safety problem. For example, an aircraft at 4000 ft northbound entering ZME encounters an MVA of 4200 ft. ZFW controllers are not aware, and if a radio failure might occur, the pilot has no way of knowing he is below the safe MVA. Another example -- an aircraft descending in ZME airspace to land in ZFW airspace transitions from a higher MVA to a lower MVA. ZFW controllers may not know of the higher ZME MVA and clear the aircraft to the ZFW MVA. The airspace office could spend a few moments restoring the MVA information. Instead, they refuse to even make a phone call for the information. Callback conversation with ZFW facility specialist revealed the following information: analyst called a ZFW facility specialist. The specialist advised that there was one known area between ZFW and ZME where the MVA's differ. ZFW is adjoined by ARTCC facilities in other air traffic regions. Though adjoining ARTCC's have some overlapping radar coverage, each ARTCC may not have the same MVA's. This may be due to obstacles built and not coordinated with the adjoining ARTCC because it is in another region. Yet the ATC handbook has specific guidance to be followed between xferring and receiving controllers, ensuring the xferred aircraft is at the appropriate safe altitude while transitioning into the new controller's airspace. As operation sits are known to change, a specialist associated with the affected control area will alert the controller work force via memos and procedural bulletins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW ARTCC RADAR CTLR CONCERNED WITH THE RECENT REMOVAL OF ADJOINING ARTCC MVA'S FROM RADAR MAPPING. RPTR ASSERTS KNOWLEDGE OF ADJOINING CTR MVA'S ARE NECESSARY FOR THE CORRECT INTERP OF RADAR XFER OF CTLED ACFT.

Narrative: A RECENT REASSESSMENT OF MVA'S THROUGHOUT ZFW RESULTED IN MVA'S FOR AREAS OUTSIDE ZFW AIRSPACE BEING DELETED. A REQUEST TO RESTORE THE DELETED MVA'S HAS BEEN MET WITH ACTIVE RESISTANCE. NOT HAVING THE MVA'S FOR AREAS OUTSIDE ZFW CREATES A MAJOR SAFETY PROB. FOR EXAMPLE, AN ACFT AT 4000 FT NBOUND ENTERING ZME ENCOUNTERS AN MVA OF 4200 FT. ZFW CTLRS ARE NOT AWARE, AND IF A RADIO FAILURE MIGHT OCCUR, THE PLT HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING HE IS BELOW THE SAFE MVA. ANOTHER EXAMPLE -- AN ACFT DSNDING IN ZME AIRSPACE TO LAND IN ZFW AIRSPACE TRANSITIONS FROM A HIGHER MVA TO A LOWER MVA. ZFW CTLRS MAY NOT KNOW OF THE HIGHER ZME MVA AND CLR THE ACFT TO THE ZFW MVA. THE AIRSPACE OFFICE COULD SPEND A FEW MOMENTS RESTORING THE MVA INFO. INSTEAD, THEY REFUSE TO EVEN MAKE A PHONE CALL FOR THE INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH ZFW FACILITY SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CALLED A ZFW FACILITY SPECIALIST. THE SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THERE WAS ONE KNOWN AREA BTWN ZFW AND ZME WHERE THE MVA'S DIFFER. ZFW IS ADJOINED BY ARTCC FACILITIES IN OTHER AIR TFC REGIONS. THOUGH ADJOINING ARTCC'S HAVE SOME OVERLAPPING RADAR COVERAGE, EACH ARTCC MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME MVA'S. THIS MAY BE DUE TO OBSTACLES BUILT AND NOT COORDINATED WITH THE ADJOINING ARTCC BECAUSE IT IS IN ANOTHER REGION. YET THE ATC HANDBOOK HAS SPECIFIC GUIDANCE TO BE FOLLOWED BTWN XFERRING AND RECEIVING CTLRS, ENSURING THE XFERRED ACFT IS AT THE APPROPRIATE SAFE ALT WHILE TRANSITIONING INTO THE NEW CTLR'S AIRSPACE. AS OP SITS ARE KNOWN TO CHANGE, A SPECIALIST ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFFECTED CTL AREA WILL ALERT THE CTLR WORK FORCE VIA MEMOS AND PROCEDURAL BULLETINS.

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.