Narrative:

Sector 40 in the trails area at ZKC has a SID off of mci airport that is never used due to arrival rtes inbound to mci. A ucr has been filed with no result except for a 45 day test period in which controllers issue a heading to fly and tell the pilots to expect radar vectors. An operational error has already happened involving a sector 40 controller. Pilots are coming over confused and the next controller receiving the aircraft say aircraft are coming over direct jthro when told to expect radar vectors. As of today (the first day of the test period) we no longer are in a test period. A SID should be established that is usable and not confusing to pilots. Callback conversation with procedures person at mci TRACON revealed the following information: asked if they are aware of any problems, the flcs or controllers are having with the royal 2 SID/jthro transition. The TRACON person indicated they did not know of any problems. I asked if they could explain the normal procedures they utilize when using this SID. The data tag will automatic acquire when the aircraft lifts off, because of the location of the mkc VOR, aircraft are given a vector to the east of the airport (they don't have much airspace to the west) to intercept the mkc 024 degree radial. A handoff is then given to the center around 3000 ft, and the frequency change between 8000 ft to 11000 ft. I asked, what is the prevailing runway(south) and which SID is used frequently? I was told that the 2 sbound runways are used about 65% of the time and the royal 2 SID with the jthro transition is their primary SID going to ord. I asked, would the TRACON be giving aircraft direct jthro? He said, not unless something was coordinated on an individual basis. He also said the LOA has them intercepting the mkc 024 degree radial, anything else would put the aircraft beyond TRACON's radar coverage. I asked, is the TRACON involved in a test involving departures from mkc? I was told TRACON wasn't doing any testing, however, it might be the center. I was also told the FAA is constructing a new VOR (mci) on the airport and most of the SID's will have to be modified later.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONTENDS THAT THE ROYAL 2 DEP SID OFF OF MCI IS CONFUSING FOR THE FLCS. RPTR ALSO STATES THAT ACFT ARE BEING GIVEN DIRECT JTHRO INSTEAD OF LEAVING THEM ON A RADAR VECTOR.

Narrative: SECTOR 40 IN THE TRAILS AREA AT ZKC HAS A SID OFF OF MCI ARPT THAT IS NEVER USED DUE TO ARR RTES INBOUND TO MCI. A UCR HAS BEEN FILED WITH NO RESULT EXCEPT FOR A 45 DAY TEST PERIOD IN WHICH CTLRS ISSUE A HDG TO FLY AND TELL THE PLTS TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS. AN OPERROR HAS ALREADY HAPPENED INVOLVING A SECTOR 40 CTLR. PLTS ARE COMING OVER CONFUSED AND THE NEXT CTLR RECEIVING THE ACFT SAY ACFT ARE COMING OVER DIRECT JTHRO WHEN TOLD TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS. AS OF TODAY (THE FIRST DAY OF THE TEST PERIOD) WE NO LONGER ARE IN A TEST PERIOD. A SID SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED THAT IS USABLE AND NOT CONFUSING TO PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH PROCS PERSON AT MCI TRACON REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ASKED IF THEY ARE AWARE OF ANY PROBS, THE FLCS OR CTLRS ARE HAVING WITH THE ROYAL 2 SID/JTHRO TRANSITION. THE TRACON PERSON INDICATED THEY DID NOT KNOW OF ANY PROBS. I ASKED IF THEY COULD EXPLAIN THE NORMAL PROCS THEY UTILIZE WHEN USING THIS SID. THE DATA TAG WILL AUTO ACQUIRE WHEN THE ACFT LIFTS OFF, BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE MKC VOR, ACFT ARE GIVEN A VECTOR TO THE E OF THE ARPT (THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH AIRSPACE TO THE W) TO INTERCEPT THE MKC 024 DEG RADIAL. A HDOF IS THEN GIVEN TO THE CTR AROUND 3000 FT, AND THE FREQ CHANGE BTWN 8000 FT TO 11000 FT. I ASKED, WHAT IS THE PREVAILING RWY(S) AND WHICH SID IS USED FREQUENTLY? I WAS TOLD THAT THE 2 SBOUND RWYS ARE USED ABOUT 65% OF THE TIME AND THE ROYAL 2 SID WITH THE JTHRO TRANSITION IS THEIR PRIMARY SID GOING TO ORD. I ASKED, WOULD THE TRACON BE GIVING ACFT DIRECT JTHRO? HE SAID, NOT UNLESS SOMETHING WAS COORDINATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. HE ALSO SAID THE LOA HAS THEM INTERCEPTING THE MKC 024 DEG RADIAL, ANYTHING ELSE WOULD PUT THE ACFT BEYOND TRACON'S RADAR COVERAGE. I ASKED, IS THE TRACON INVOLVED IN A TEST INVOLVING DEPS FROM MKC? I WAS TOLD TRACON WASN'T DOING ANY TESTING, HOWEVER, IT MIGHT BE THE CTR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THE FAA IS CONSTRUCTING A NEW VOR (MCI) ON THE ARPT AND MOST OF THE SID'S WILL HAVE TO BE MODIFIED LATER.

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.