Narrative:

There are discrepancies in the flight plan route for international arrs from europe as compared to the international arrs from south america into washington dulles, which is leading to confusion and ambiguities with potomac approach. All south american arrs are filed to flat rock (fak) and the coatt four arrival (coatt.COATT4). This leads the international flts into the STAR transition to barin intersection for the approach. On european arrs, the flts are filed to mulrr intersection and then direct armel (aml). This is the problem as the european flts are never filed as a STAR from mulrr. However, potomac approach is under the assumption that these flts are filed with one of the arrs such as the prtzl one (psb.PRTZL1). As a result, when ZNY hands the aircraft off to potomac approach about 5 mi from mulrr (on a good day), there is confusion and last min programming to fly the STAR potomac approach assumes we are filed for. Crews are also preloading the FMC with the stars they think they will get but are not in the legal clearance. This is also a potential for an error if the crew does not verify prior to mulrr what potomac approach is expecting the flight to fly. I have talked to the potomac approach supervisor and he said they have communicated several times with company, but have not had success with changing our flight planning to include a STAR in the routing. However, his controllers are under the assumption all of our flts are filed with a STAR and they get surprised several times a week when an aircraft is not flying the STAR. Another problem with the FMS STAR arrs into dulles is the altitudes. They are listed as hard altitudes (cross at 4000 ft) instead of (expect to cross at 4000 ft), the language of a non FMS STAR. On the FMS stars, the (at) is made into an expect by the note: FMS assigned arrs shall maintain last ATC assigned altitude until cleared to 'descend via' the transition. This has caused confusion because ATC uses several different ways of issuing the descent clearance. They may say, 'cleared the barin FMS transition, I will call your altitude,' 'cleared the barin FMS transition, maintain...altitudes,' or 'cleared the barin FMS transition.' additionally, after talking to potomac supervisor, he stated that 90% of the time the controllers do not use the published altitudes. This has created a serious potential for an altitude deviation and should be corrected. At least the altitudes on these stars should be changed to expect and removal of the note so these stars match the non-FMS STAR arrs. This would watch how the potomac controllers use these stars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EUROPEAN ARRS INTO IAD EXPERIENCE CONFUSION WITH RTE ASSIGNMENTS.

Narrative: THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES IN THE FLT PLAN RTE FOR INTL ARRS FROM EUROPE AS COMPARED TO THE INTL ARRS FROM S AMERICA INTO WASHINGTON DULLES, WHICH IS LEADING TO CONFUSION AND AMBIGUITIES WITH POTOMAC APCH. ALL S AMERICAN ARRS ARE FILED TO FLAT ROCK (FAK) AND THE COATT FOUR ARR (COATT.COATT4). THIS LEADS THE INTL FLTS INTO THE STAR TRANSITION TO BARIN INTXN FOR THE APCH. ON EUROPEAN ARRS, THE FLTS ARE FILED TO MULRR INTXN AND THEN DIRECT ARMEL (AML). THIS IS THE PROB AS THE EUROPEAN FLTS ARE NEVER FILED AS A STAR FROM MULRR. HOWEVER, POTOMAC APCH IS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THESE FLTS ARE FILED WITH ONE OF THE ARRS SUCH AS THE PRTZL ONE (PSB.PRTZL1). AS A RESULT, WHEN ZNY HANDS THE ACFT OFF TO POTOMAC APCH ABOUT 5 MI FROM MULRR (ON A GOOD DAY), THERE IS CONFUSION AND LAST MIN PROGRAMMING TO FLY THE STAR POTOMAC APCH ASSUMES WE ARE FILED FOR. CREWS ARE ALSO PRELOADING THE FMC WITH THE STARS THEY THINK THEY WILL GET BUT ARE NOT IN THE LEGAL CLRNC. THIS IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR AN ERROR IF THE CREW DOES NOT VERIFY PRIOR TO MULRR WHAT POTOMAC APCH IS EXPECTING THE FLT TO FLY. I HAVE TALKED TO THE POTOMAC APCH SUPVR AND HE SAID THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED SEVERAL TIMES WITH COMPANY, BUT HAVE NOT HAD SUCCESS WITH CHANGING OUR FLT PLANNING TO INCLUDE A STAR IN THE ROUTING. HOWEVER, HIS CTLRS ARE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION ALL OF OUR FLTS ARE FILED WITH A STAR AND THEY GET SURPRISED SEVERAL TIMES A WK WHEN AN ACFT IS NOT FLYING THE STAR. ANOTHER PROB WITH THE FMS STAR ARRS INTO DULLES IS THE ALTS. THEY ARE LISTED AS HARD ALTS (CROSS AT 4000 FT) INSTEAD OF (EXPECT TO CROSS AT 4000 FT), THE LANGUAGE OF A NON FMS STAR. ON THE FMS STARS, THE (AT) IS MADE INTO AN EXPECT BY THE NOTE: FMS ASSIGNED ARRS SHALL MAINTAIN LAST ATC ASSIGNED ALT UNTIL CLRED TO 'DSND VIA' THE TRANSITION. THIS HAS CAUSED CONFUSION BECAUSE ATC USES SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS OF ISSUING THE DSCNT CLRNC. THEY MAY SAY, 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION, I WILL CALL YOUR ALT,' 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION, MAINTAIN...ALTS,' OR 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION.' ADDITIONALLY, AFTER TALKING TO POTOMAC SUPVR, HE STATED THAT 90% OF THE TIME THE CTLRS DO NOT USE THE PUBLISHED ALTS. THIS HAS CREATED A SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR AN ALTDEV AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. AT LEAST THE ALTS ON THESE STARS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO EXPECT AND REMOVAL OF THE NOTE SO THESE STARS MATCH THE NON-FMS STAR ARRS. THIS WOULD WATCH HOW THE POTOMAC CTLRS USE THESE STARS.

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.