Narrative:

Since sep/xa/01, a MOA 'redskin cap' has been over dca with a radius of 20 mi. On jan/xa/02, the cap altitudes were moved up to FL220-FL270 thus permitting IFR traffic to under fly the area. XXXX flying at FL180 direct gve, would be under flying this airspace. I was working hgr sector at ZDC. I called dca-Z to verify that they still owned FL180. The controller there stated he did not own that airspace any more. He said that airspace had been given to the 'redskin cap.' I stated the 'redskin cap' was now FL220-FL270 and he told me to check with the ZDC surrounding sector swann. I called the swann sector and they said they did not own the airspace. They thought dca-Z approach did. I asked the area supervisor in charge who owned the airspace in question. He did not know and placed a phone call to someone to ask this question. I had to turn flight XXXX out of the questionable airspace because no one knew who owned it. Airspace changes to adjacent airspace are not being briefed to controllers at ZDC. Very few procedures have been developed since the changes of sep/xa/01 and this is impacting the safety of aircraft and the level of service we can provide. I suggest full coordination procedures be developed with the responsibilities of all parties plainly spelled out. Complete briefings need to be conducted to all controllers explaining the airspace changes so everyone knows who owns every inch of airspace in the washington, dc, area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised restred airspace intracoord had improved. The primary coordination position is tmu. Tmu effects coordination with the adjoining facs, alerting when these airspace goes 'hot.' redskin is the name of the restr area; and cap stands for combat airs patrol. The reporter was not aware of any ongoing communication between the union, supervisor's or other facility mgrs. ZNY specialist advised that they do not have direct input over airspace effective times or altitudes. ZDC's coordination is required to ensure adjoining any sectors are alerted to airspace effective times. ZDC may provide alternate flow control rteings for sequencing into and through the dca area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHO HAS COORD RESPONSIBILITY FOR 'REDSKIN CAP' MOA OVER DCA.

Narrative: SINCE SEP/XA/01, A MOA 'REDSKIN CAP' HAS BEEN OVER DCA WITH A RADIUS OF 20 MI. ON JAN/XA/02, THE CAP ALTS WERE MOVED UP TO FL220-FL270 THUS PERMITTING IFR TFC TO UNDER FLY THE AREA. XXXX FLYING AT FL180 DIRECT GVE, WOULD BE UNDER FLYING THIS AIRSPACE. I WAS WORKING HGR SECTOR AT ZDC. I CALLED DCA-Z TO VERIFY THAT THEY STILL OWNED FL180. THE CTLR THERE STATED HE DID NOT OWN THAT AIRSPACE ANY MORE. HE SAID THAT AIRSPACE HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE 'REDSKIN CAP.' I STATED THE 'REDSKIN CAP' WAS NOW FL220-FL270 AND HE TOLD ME TO CHK WITH THE ZDC SURROUNDING SECTOR SWANN. I CALLED THE SWANN SECTOR AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT OWN THE AIRSPACE. THEY THOUGHT DCA-Z APCH DID. I ASKED THE AREA SUPVR IN CHARGE WHO OWNED THE AIRSPACE IN QUESTION. HE DID NOT KNOW AND PLACED A PHONE CALL TO SOMEONE TO ASK THIS QUESTION. I HAD TO TURN FLT XXXX OUT OF THE QUESTIONABLE AIRSPACE BECAUSE NO ONE KNEW WHO OWNED IT. AIRSPACE CHANGES TO ADJACENT AIRSPACE ARE NOT BEING BRIEFED TO CTLRS AT ZDC. VERY FEW PROCS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED SINCE THE CHANGES OF SEP/XA/01 AND THIS IS IMPACTING THE SAFETY OF ACFT AND THE LEVEL OF SVC WE CAN PROVIDE. I SUGGEST FULL COORD PROCS BE DEVELOPED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL PARTIES PLAINLY SPELLED OUT. COMPLETE BRIEFINGS NEED TO BE CONDUCTED TO ALL CTLRS EXPLAINING THE AIRSPACE CHANGES SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHO OWNS EVERY INCH OF AIRSPACE IN THE WASHINGTON, DC, AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED RESTRED AIRSPACE INTRACOORD HAD IMPROVED. THE PRIMARY COORD POS IS TMU. TMU EFFECTS COORD WITH THE ADJOINING FACS, ALERTING WHEN THESE AIRSPACE GOES 'HOT.' REDSKIN IS THE NAME OF THE RESTR AREA; AND CAP STANDS FOR COMBAT AIRS PATROL. THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ONGOING COM BETWEEN THE UNION, SUPVR'S OR OTHER FAC MGRS. ZNY SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE DIRECT INPUT OVER AIRSPACE EFFECTIVE TIMES OR ALTS. ZDC'S COORD IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE ADJOINING ANY SECTORS ARE ALERTED TO AIRSPACE EFFECTIVE TIMES. ZDC MAY PROVIDE ALTERNATE FLOW CTL RTEINGS FOR SEQUENCING INTO AND THROUGH THE DCA AREA.

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.