A B737 flight crew complains of the lack of mmid ARTCC intrafac coordination and poor attitude that ...

Attributes
ACN	617887
Time
Date	200405
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmid.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmid.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : ub753.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmid.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	617887
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	617888
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : mmid.artcc

Narrative:

Sebound approaching mid VOR in clear smooth air. The controller we were with made no mention of any turbulence ahead. Seconds after being handed off, we encountered moderate clear air turbulence with no warning from ATC. We could not hear the other aircraft talking about it because we were on a different frequency until just before the encounter. At time of the encounter, passenger were seated (seat belt sign on), but flight attendants were conducting service in the aisle. Turbulence intensity was not greater than moderate at any time, and no injuries or damage occurred. I am submitting this report to try to bring to light a serious problem with merida center's ongoing complacent attitude regarding providing safety critical information to flts within its airspace. As we listened to the controller repeatedly acknowledge turbulence reports from several aircraft and then tell other aircraft that he had no information regarding turbulence, the serious nature of this problem became obvious. I am hopeful that something can be done to address this situation with merida center's controllers before a more serious incident occurs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: flight was over the gulf, sbound. Upon approaching the north shore of the peninsula, a frequency change was given for a frequency still within the mmid facility. The reporter believes controllers had not talked with one another and were not giving out any information regarding the turbulence. PIC said he was 'just dumb lucky' as there had been some very light chop prior to this frequency change and the passenger were still seated as he had forgotten about the seat belt sign being on. The flight attendants took their seats immediately and were not hurt. Supplemental information from acn 617888: merida gave us no indication of rough air ahead and there were several jet aircraft ahead of us experiencing it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW COMPLAINS OF THE LACK OF MMID ARTCC INTRAFAC COORD AND POOR ATTITUDE THAT FAILED TO GIVE PRIOR NOTICE OF MODERATE TURB WHEN SPECIFIC WX INFO WAS AVAILABLE.

Narrative: SEBOUND APCHING MID VOR IN CLR SMOOTH AIR. THE CTLR WE WERE WITH MADE NO MENTION OF ANY TURB AHEAD. SECONDS AFTER BEING HANDED OFF, WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE CLR AIR TURB WITH NO WARNING FROM ATC. WE COULD NOT HEAR THE OTHER ACFT TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE WERE ON A DIFFERENT FREQ UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE ENCOUNTER. AT TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER, PAX WERE SEATED (SEAT BELT SIGN ON), BUT FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONDUCTING SVC IN THE AISLE. TURB INTENSITY WAS NOT GREATER THAN MODERATE AT ANY TIME, AND NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE OCCURRED. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT TO TRY TO BRING TO LIGHT A SERIOUS PROB WITH MERIDA CTR'S ONGOING COMPLACENT ATTITUDE REGARDING PROVIDING SAFETY CRITICAL INFO TO FLTS WITHIN ITS AIRSPACE. AS WE LISTENED TO THE CTLR REPEATEDLY ACKNOWLEDGE TURB RPTS FROM SEVERAL ACFT AND THEN TELL OTHER ACFT THAT HE HAD NO INFO REGARDING TURB, THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THIS PROB BECAME OBVIOUS. I AM HOPEFUL THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS SIT WITH MERIDA CTR'S CTLRS BEFORE A MORE SERIOUS INCIDENT OCCURS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FLT WAS OVER THE GULF, SBOUND. UPON APCHING THE NORTH SHORE OF THE PENINSULA, A FREQ CHANGE WAS GIVEN FOR A FREQ STILL WITHIN THE MMID FACILITY. THE RPTR BELIEVES CTLRS HAD NOT TALKED WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WERE NOT GIVING OUT ANY INFO REGARDING THE TURB. PIC SAID HE WAS 'JUST DUMB LUCKY' AS THERE HAD BEEN SOME VERY LIGHT CHOP PRIOR TO THIS FREQ CHANGE AND THE PAX WERE STILL SEATED AS HE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE SEAT BELT SIGN BEING ON. THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOOK THEIR SEATS IMMEDIATELY AND WERE NOT HURT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 617888: MERIDA GAVE US NO INDICATION OF ROUGH AIR AHEAD AND THERE WERE SEVERAL JET ACFT AHEAD OF US EXPERIENCING IT.

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.

A B737 flight crew complains of the lack of mmid ARTCC intrafac coordination and poor attitude that failed to give prior notice of moderate turbulence when specific WX information was available.