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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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ZTL controller alleges non processing of operational error he was involved in due to sector saturation due to poor traffic management flow and of a previous incident of supervisor verbal conduct about another controller's performance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 516364 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : odf.vortac |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 15 flight time total : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 516364 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 1200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Weather FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : ztl.artcc staffing : ztl.artcc |
Narrative:
I was working the R50 position. I had a very weak d-side. Tmu was running rertes into our airspace and dumping all the rmg arrs on us. So I quickly called for a tracker. The sector became totally unmanageable, and my tracker eventually stopped all traffic coming into the sector, but not before the operational error. Even though management has decided to not even decertify me (because tmu did such a poor job), I think someone needs to know that they are routinely pushing this sector beyond safe standards. A case in point: 3 weeks ago, one of our better controllers was holding at lanier with 2 holding patterns -- something many controllers refuse to do -- and bad WX. When both patterns filled up, he told the feeder sectors (R42 and R43) to hold the inbounds. Our management's response to this? The area manager came to the area, stood behind the controller, and spoke loudly to the supervisor, 'you need to get a higher grade of controller in here.' controller was not making a joke.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZTL CTLR ALLEGES NON PROCESSING OF OPERROR HE WAS INVOLVED IN DUE TO SECTOR SATURATION DUE TO POOR TFC MGMNT FLOW AND OF A PREVIOUS INCIDENT OF SUPVR VERBAL CONDUCT ABOUT ANOTHER CTLR'S PERFORMANCE.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE R50 POS. I HAD A VERY WEAK D-SIDE. TMU WAS RUNNING RERTES INTO OUR AIRSPACE AND DUMPING ALL THE RMG ARRS ON US. SO I QUICKLY CALLED FOR A TRACKER. THE SECTOR BECAME TOTALLY UNMANAGEABLE, AND MY TRACKER EVENTUALLY STOPPED ALL TFC COMING INTO THE SECTOR, BUT NOT BEFORE THE OPERATIONAL ERROR. EVEN THOUGH MGMNT HAS DECIDED TO NOT EVEN DECERTIFY ME (BECAUSE TMU DID SUCH A POOR JOB), I THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE ROUTINELY PUSHING THIS SECTOR BEYOND SAFE STANDARDS. A CASE IN POINT: 3 WKS AGO, ONE OF OUR BETTER CTLRS WAS HOLDING AT LANIER WITH 2 HOLDING PATTERNS -- SOMETHING MANY CTLRS REFUSE TO DO -- AND BAD WX. WHEN BOTH PATTERNS FILLED UP, HE TOLD THE FEEDER SECTORS (R42 AND R43) TO HOLD THE INBOUNDS. OUR MGMNT'S RESPONSE TO THIS? THE AREA MGR CAME TO THE AREA, STOOD BEHIND THE CTLR, AND SPOKE LOUDLY TO THE SUPVR, 'YOU NEED TO GET A HIGHER GRADE OF CTLR IN HERE.' CONTROLLER WAS NOT MAKING A JOKE.
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.