Narrative:

Ind ATCT is affected by 2 restr areas -- R3401 at camp atterbury, in, near columbus, in, and R3403, jefferson proving grounds, near madison, in. Information on the times and altitudes that these restr areas are hot is crucial for controllers who must keep aircraft away from these areas. It is the responsibility of the ZID military desk to ensure all atcs personnel (center and approach) are aware of times and altitudes that these areas are hot. On dec/xa/00, ZID failed to advise ind ATCT of times R3401 was hot in a timely fashion. Data received by ind ATCT from the ZID military desk advised that the area was cold until XB00Z. At XA59Z, the ind ATCT supervisor called ZID and asked for an update. ZID provided an update over the phone. Later that day, information ind had was that the area was hot at and below 5000 ft until XQ00Z. As of XR25Z, no message was again received and another call was made. This is a problem. Most aircraft in the center environment are on airways or jetways that keep them clear of the range. But with aircraft at lower altitudes going direct to destinations, or with VFR aircraft receiving flight following, information receipt in the terminal environment in a timely fashion is a must. Format of messages also changes depending on the person putting messages out. Some messages are completely cryptic and require phone calls to find out what the military desk actually meant in the message. I would propose the following solutions: 1) a standardized system of relaying times and altitudes should be considered, so regardless of the person on duty, the message is understood by all. No deviations to this standardization should be allowed. 2) if possible, a full day's range activity should be put into one message. A standard time in the morning that messages are sent via general information message should be established and followed. 3) should sending a whole day's itinerary be unfeasible, further activity times should be sent to affected sectors/facilities prior to the last activity period on the first general information. If a range area is hot at any time of the day, the military desk should send a general information to all affected facilities/sectors when the range is cold for the remainder of the day. The military desk should also advise on the same general information the next time the range is scheduled to be hot. 4) any changes to the day's activity should be sent to all affected sectors/facilities as soon as possible after the military desk receives the change, but never less than 10 mins prior to a change in activity. 5) the ZID military desk should check current distribution lists for all facilities to ensure that data is being sent to the proper facilities/sectors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IND APCH CTLR CLAIMS INFO CONCERNING THE STATUS OF 2 NEARBY RESTR AREAS IS NOT ALWAYS CORRECT.

Narrative: IND ATCT IS AFFECTED BY 2 RESTR AREAS -- R3401 AT CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, NEAR COLUMBUS, IN, AND R3403, JEFFERSON PROVING GROUNDS, NEAR MADISON, IN. INFO ON THE TIMES AND ALTS THAT THESE RESTR AREAS ARE HOT IS CRUCIAL FOR CTLRS WHO MUST KEEP ACFT AWAY FROM THESE AREAS. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ZID MIL DESK TO ENSURE ALL ATCS PERSONNEL (CTR AND APCH) ARE AWARE OF TIMES AND ALTS THAT THESE AREAS ARE HOT. ON DEC/XA/00, ZID FAILED TO ADVISE IND ATCT OF TIMES R3401 WAS HOT IN A TIMELY FASHION. DATA RECEIVED BY IND ATCT FROM THE ZID MIL DESK ADVISED THAT THE AREA WAS COLD UNTIL XB00Z. AT XA59Z, THE IND ATCT SUPVR CALLED ZID AND ASKED FOR AN UPDATE. ZID PROVIDED AN UPDATE OVER THE PHONE. LATER THAT DAY, INFO IND HAD WAS THAT THE AREA WAS HOT AT AND BELOW 5000 FT UNTIL XQ00Z. AS OF XR25Z, NO MESSAGE WAS AGAIN RECEIVED AND ANOTHER CALL WAS MADE. THIS IS A PROB. MOST ACFT IN THE CTR ENVIRONMENT ARE ON AIRWAYS OR JETWAYS THAT KEEP THEM CLR OF THE RANGE. BUT WITH ACFT AT LOWER ALTS GOING DIRECT TO DESTS, OR WITH VFR ACFT RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING, INFO RECEIPT IN THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT IN A TIMELY FASHION IS A MUST. FORMAT OF MESSAGES ALSO CHANGES DEPENDING ON THE PERSON PUTTING MESSAGES OUT. SOME MESSAGES ARE COMPLETELY CRYPTIC AND REQUIRE PHONE CALLS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MIL DESK ACTUALLY MEANT IN THE MESSAGE. I WOULD PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SOLUTIONS: 1) A STANDARDIZED SYS OF RELAYING TIMES AND ALTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, SO REGARDLESS OF THE PERSON ON DUTY, THE MESSAGE IS UNDERSTOOD BY ALL. NO DEVS TO THIS STANDARDIZATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED. 2) IF POSSIBLE, A FULL DAY'S RANGE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE PUT INTO ONE MESSAGE. A STANDARD TIME IN THE MORNING THAT MESSAGES ARE SENT VIA GENERAL INFO MESSAGE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED AND FOLLOWED. 3) SHOULD SENDING A WHOLE DAY'S ITINERARY BE UNFEASIBLE, FURTHER ACTIVITY TIMES SHOULD BE SENT TO AFFECTED SECTORS/FACILITIES PRIOR TO THE LAST ACTIVITY PERIOD ON THE FIRST GENERAL INFO. IF A RANGE AREA IS HOT AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY, THE MIL DESK SHOULD SEND A GENERAL INFO TO ALL AFFECTED FACILITIES/SECTORS WHEN THE RANGE IS COLD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. THE MIL DESK SHOULD ALSO ADVISE ON THE SAME GENERAL INFO THE NEXT TIME THE RANGE IS SCHEDULED TO BE HOT. 4) ANY CHANGES TO THE DAY'S ACTIVITY SHOULD BE SENT TO ALL AFFECTED SECTORS/FACILITIES ASAP AFTER THE MIL DESK RECEIVES THE CHANGE, BUT NEVER LESS THAN 10 MINS PRIOR TO A CHANGE IN ACTIVITY. 5) THE ZID MIL DESK SHOULD CHK CURRENT DISTRIBUTION LISTS FOR ALL FACILITIES TO ENSURE THAT DATA IS BEING SENT TO THE PROPER FACILITIES/SECTORS.

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.