Narrative:

This report pertains to my part of an event involving a military aircraft, a military range control, 2 military approach control sectors, an FAA approach sector and an ARTCC sector. I write this for 2 reasons. First, I worked a non participant aircraft through an active restr area without prior approval from the using agency. I did that because I felt that the situation was not safe and would get worse if I didn't. Second and with hindsight, I think this event should be reviewed by someone with access to information and the ability to affect change if necessary. I was monitoring a controller in training who was working the approach west sector at MCAS cherry point. We had been working about 45 mins. Our equipment and the equipment of adjacent sectors was working normally. The WX was marginal VFR. A center WX advisory for thunderstorms was current and there were areas of precipitation moving from southwest to northeast through our sector. Traffic was continuous and moderate, but complex. The special use airspace in and around our area was active and almost every aircraft asked for a route or altitude change because of the WX. At about XA44 UTC the sampson low sector at ZDC called approach west, and verbally coordinated route and altitude for aircraft X. We did not have a flight progress strip, but sampson gave us enough information to work the traffic so we approved the coordination. Sampson immediately tried to complete a radar handoff, but we didn't have a workable primary target or secondary track. Sampson asked the controller in training to put the monitor on. I relieved the controller in training because sampson seemed anxious to complete a handoff and I had the feeling that the situation was becoming non standard. I repeated what the controller in training had said and approved 10000 ft non radar. I was doing some other coordination with another sector to insure that 10000 ft was protected when sampson called 'cherry point approach emergency.' approach east answered the call. I scanned for a 7700 squawk, but I didn't see one. I did see a track for aircraft X with nat attached about 15 mi southwest of MCAS new river. Approach east handed me a flight progress strip for aircraft X with a large east (our abbreviation for an emergency), and said she was working on a cease fire. I contacted aircraft X and verified radar identify. He was exiting R5304A and entering R5303A descending through 6600 ft. Aircraft X said he wanted a precision approach. I asked aircraft X the nature of his emergency. This is part of our standard procedure. He said he was not an emergency. I advised aircraft X that he was in an active restr area. He said he was on a radar vector. I stopped his descent at 6500 ft and vectored the aircraft to exit the restr area. Aircraft X exited R5303A without further incident and landed safely at cherry point. I advised my supervisor. My immediate impression was that the sampson low controller endangered aircraft X by not complying with the approved verbal coordination. The following day I reviewed my facility's audio and video tapes with my supervisor. Now I'm not so sure a specific rule or procedure was broken, but the aircraft still ended up in the restr areas. This leads me to believe that there may be a problem with the system's procedures, a problem I don't know how to fix or even if it needs to be fixed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that MCAS at cherry point is a fairly large approach facility, its airspace can go up as high as FL180. ZDC controls airspace above and around cherry point. The cause of the incident described was passed on as an internal coordination problem. He said the marine facility is staffed with civilian controllers that mostly train marine personnel in tower and approach control operations. He also said, coordination problems with the center are rare.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR AT NKT, CHERRY POINT MARINE STATION, RECEIVED A HDOF FROM ZDC ON A MIL ACFT IN HOT RESTR AREA. THE CTLR STRIP WAS MARKED EMER.

Narrative: THIS RPT PERTAINS TO MY PART OF AN EVENT INVOLVING A MIL ACFT, A MIL RANGE CTL, 2 MIL APCH CTL SECTORS, AN FAA APCH SECTOR AND AN ARTCC SECTOR. I WRITE THIS FOR 2 REASONS. FIRST, I WORKED A NON PARTICIPANT ACFT THROUGH AN ACTIVE RESTR AREA WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE USING AGENCY. I DID THAT BECAUSE I FELT THAT THE SIT WAS NOT SAFE AND WOULD GET WORSE IF I DIDN'T. SECOND AND WITH HINDSIGHT, I THINK THIS EVENT SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY SOMEONE WITH ACCESS TO INFO AND THE ABILITY TO AFFECT CHANGE IF NECESSARY. I WAS MONITORING A CTLR IN TRAINING WHO WAS WORKING THE APCH W SECTOR AT MCAS CHERRY POINT. WE HAD BEEN WORKING ABOUT 45 MINS. OUR EQUIP AND THE EQUIP OF ADJACENT SECTORS WAS WORKING NORMALLY. THE WX WAS MARGINAL VFR. A CTR WX ADVISORY FOR TSTMS WAS CURRENT AND THERE WERE AREAS OF PRECIPITATION MOVING FROM SW TO NE THROUGH OUR SECTOR. TFC WAS CONTINUOUS AND MODERATE, BUT COMPLEX. THE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE IN AND AROUND OUR AREA WAS ACTIVE AND ALMOST EVERY ACFT ASKED FOR A RTE OR ALT CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE WX. AT ABOUT XA44 UTC THE SAMPSON LOW SECTOR AT ZDC CALLED APCH W, AND VERBALLY COORDINATED RTE AND ALT FOR ACFT X. WE DID NOT HAVE A FLT PROGRESS STRIP, BUT SAMPSON GAVE US ENOUGH INFO TO WORK THE TFC SO WE APPROVED THE COORD. SAMPSON IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO COMPLETE A RADAR HDOF, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A WORKABLE PRIMARY TARGET OR SECONDARY TRACK. SAMPSON ASKED THE CTLR IN TRAINING TO PUT THE MONITOR ON. I RELIEVED THE CTLR IN TRAINING BECAUSE SAMPSON SEEMED ANXIOUS TO COMPLETE A HDOF AND I HAD THE FEELING THAT THE SIT WAS BECOMING NON STANDARD. I REPEATED WHAT THE CTLR IN TRAINING HAD SAID AND APPROVED 10000 FT NON RADAR. I WAS DOING SOME OTHER COORD WITH ANOTHER SECTOR TO INSURE THAT 10000 FT WAS PROTECTED WHEN SAMPSON CALLED 'CHERRY POINT APCH EMER.' APCH E ANSWERED THE CALL. I SCANNED FOR A 7700 SQUAWK, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ONE. I DID SEE A TRACK FOR ACFT X WITH NAT ATTACHED ABOUT 15 MI SW OF MCAS NEW RIVER. APCH E HANDED ME A FLT PROGRESS STRIP FOR ACFT X WITH A LARGE E (OUR ABBREVIATION FOR AN EMER), AND SAID SHE WAS WORKING ON A CEASE FIRE. I CONTACTED ACFT X AND VERIFIED RADAR IDENT. HE WAS EXITING R5304A AND ENTERING R5303A DSNDING THROUGH 6600 FT. ACFT X SAID HE WANTED A PRECISION APCH. I ASKED ACFT X THE NATURE OF HIS EMER. THIS IS PART OF OUR STANDARD PROC. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AN EMER. I ADVISED ACFT X THAT HE WAS IN AN ACTIVE RESTR AREA. HE SAID HE WAS ON A RADAR VECTOR. I STOPPED HIS DSCNT AT 6500 FT AND VECTORED THE ACFT TO EXIT THE RESTR AREA. ACFT X EXITED R5303A WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND LANDED SAFELY AT CHERRY POINT. I ADVISED MY SUPVR. MY IMMEDIATE IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE SAMPSON LOW CTLR ENDANGERED ACFT X BY NOT COMPLYING WITH THE APPROVED VERBAL COORD. THE FOLLOWING DAY I REVIEWED MY FACILITY'S AUDIO AND VIDEO TAPES WITH MY SUPVR. NOW I'M NOT SO SURE A SPECIFIC RULE OR PROC WAS BROKEN, BUT THE ACFT STILL ENDED UP IN THE RESTR AREAS. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A PROB WITH THE SYS'S PROCS, A PROB I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX OR EVEN IF IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MCAS AT CHERRY POINT IS A FAIRLY LARGE APCH FACILITY, ITS AIRSPACE CAN GO UP AS HIGH AS FL180. ZDC CTLS AIRSPACE ABOVE AND AROUND CHERRY POINT. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED WAS PASSED ON AS AN INTERNAL COORD PROB. HE SAID THE MARINE FACILITY IS STAFFED WITH CIVILIAN CTLRS THAT MOSTLY TRAIN MARINE PERSONNEL IN TWR AND APCH CTL OPS. HE ALSO SAID, COORD PROBS WITH THE CTR ARE RARE.

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.