Narrative:

Mgm approach closes, prevailing winds dictate ILS to runway 28, front moves through the night, center assumes airspace, 2 inbounds late into night, ILS to downwind runway set up, winds favor runway 10. Unable to change ILS until approach opens 1 hour later. 1 aircraft (X) lands via NDB approach, other misses approach, forced to land downwind. Area manager believes that ILS can be changed through FSS. FSS advises that they cannot change equipment. Since the center assumes numerous approach control airspace during late night operations, this provides the user with a false sense of security in the system. Callback conversation with reporter on acn 435607 revealed the following information: reporter states that on the late night shift, he provides air traffic service for a number of closed approach control facilities, such as columbus, GA, montgomery, al, cains TRACON (department of defense), and meridian TRACON. If wind conditions change, the reporter advised there is no physical way to have the instrument approach equipment changed. Neither does the 2 FSS's, macon and anniston. The reporter states that the ARTCC must wait until the TRACON/ATCT opens, evaluates WX conditions, and aligns the instrument approach accordingly. The reporter is concerned with this process, believing that airspace diversity is significantly reduced and inefficient. This lack of flexibility is perceived to place a negative decision making process on the pilot, requiring the pilot make an approach to a runway that he may not be able to land upon. The controller wants a process be made available that will permit changing instrument approach equipment when the TRACON's/ATCT's are closed and returned to the ARTCC to provide approach control service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR CONCERNED WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE THE INST APCH RWY AT MGM ARPT WHEN APCH CTL SVCS ARE DELEGATED TO ZTL FROM MGM.

Narrative: MGM APCH CLOSES, PREVAILING WINDS DICTATE ILS TO RWY 28, FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE NIGHT, CTR ASSUMES AIRSPACE, 2 INBOUNDS LATE INTO NIGHT, ILS TO DOWNWIND RWY SET UP, WINDS FAVOR RWY 10. UNABLE TO CHANGE ILS UNTIL APCH OPENS 1 HR LATER. 1 ACFT (X) LANDS VIA NDB APCH, OTHER MISSES APCH, FORCED TO LAND DOWNWIND. AREA MANAGER BELIEVES THAT ILS CAN BE CHANGED THROUGH FSS. FSS ADVISES THAT THEY CANNOT CHANGE EQUIP. SINCE THE CTR ASSUMES NUMEROUS APCH CTL AIRSPACE DURING LATE NIGHT OPS, THIS PROVIDES THE USER WITH A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY IN THE SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ON ACN 435607 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT ON THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT, HE PROVIDES AIR TFC SVC FOR A NUMBER OF CLOSED APCH CTL FACILITIES, SUCH AS COLUMBUS, GA, MONTGOMERY, AL, CAINS TRACON (DEPT OF DEFENSE), AND MERIDIAN TRACON. IF WIND CONDITIONS CHANGE, THE RPTR ADVISED THERE IS NO PHYSICAL WAY TO HAVE THE INST APCH EQUIP CHANGED. NEITHER DOES THE 2 FSS'S, MACON AND ANNISTON. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE ARTCC MUST WAIT UNTIL THE TRACON/ATCT OPENS, EVALUATES WX CONDITIONS, AND ALIGNS THE INST APCH ACCORDINGLY. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED WITH THIS PROCESS, BELIEVING THAT AIRSPACE DIVERSITY IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AND INEFFICIENT. THIS LACK OF FLEXIBILITY IS PERCEIVED TO PLACE A NEGATIVE DECISION MAKING PROCESS ON THE PLT, REQUIRING THE PLT MAKE AN APCH TO A RWY THAT HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LAND UPON. THE CTLR WANTS A PROCESS BE MADE AVAILABLE THAT WILL PERMIT CHANGING INST APCH EQUIP WHEN THE TRACON'S/ATCT'S ARE CLOSED AND RETURNED TO THE ARTCC TO PROVIDE APCH CTL SVC.

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.