Narrative:

I have written several times concerning what I consider to be very questionable practices; methods; techniques used by all 4 sectors of ZME that 'feed' aircraft to mem TRACON. Daily; if not by hour after hour; ARTCC continues to assign arriving or overflt aircraft incorrect frequencys. We have had supervisors tell us that the maps that ZME used are very outdated. I believe they're likely to be decades old information. Aircraft being switched to the wrong frequencys seem to be a game by ZME or a total lack of respect by ZME. Our TRACON combines/decombines position several times daily based on lunch/dinner periods and between heavy pushes. ZME has used the excuse that a 'letter' tells them to use the incorrect frequencys or they use the position 'letter' of the TRACON position that is receiving the automated radar handoff. This is also an excuse because they can't even get this correct. Several times during this week we have had aircraft switched to incorrect frequencys when all position are open. No excuse for this other than incompetence or a 'just don't care attitude.' several times when position have been 'split' aircraft are on incorrect frequencys and have received poor service. Late turn on to the localizers; or aircraft not being communication xferred to ZME for departures and overflts. This also makes for aircraft being on incorrect frequencys in another controller's area of responsibility. We xfer communications to the correct frequencys no matter what sector within ZME is combined. ZME must do the same. I can easily see an operational deviation or operational error being caused by incorrect frequency assignments. This happens all day long every day. Jun/mon/05; several times working arrival traffic from ZME concerning heavy jet traffic; the leading heavy will slow on their own or slow when instructed by the arrival's controllers for descent and the trailing heavy which is not 10 mi in trail and 'going' fast will close up to and lose required minimum wake turbulence separation. I had to slow a trailing heavy aircraft while in ZME airspace so as not to lose any radar separation; much less that minimum radar separation. This happens daily and with all types of jet aircraft. ZME uses methods that include having the leading aircraft to go fast because they're trying to set a sequence 'at the arrival gate.' this is too close and results in aircraft being stacked instead of being placed in-trail at an acceptable speed. ZME always calls and requests our approval for this as their usual 'out.' this usually happens on the 'short' base leg side which 'jams' the arrival controllers who have to 'terror vector' to gain required spacing to the final controllers. This is hard to do especially with heavy aircraft. This afternoon; the mkl sector fed me jet aircraft descending to 10000 ft in excess of 320 KTS on the short side. We have about 15 mi to slow down and get down to feed the final ctrs. ZME as a method will not switch frequencys to us until the boundary of our airspace. We will get these aircraft being instructed to go 'fast' and will communication with us around 30-35 mi out from the center of our airport. Translation -- the aircraft have to be vectored to slow down and get down. Very poor methodology by ZME and all sectors use this. This method of traffic management by all sectors that feed us is unsatisfactory. These methods are used 'every' arrival push period and between pushes with heavies. We now have several more 'young' controllers that are on the edge trying to survive how ZME 'jams' us with arrs; especially during periods where WX dictates non visual approachs. Our arrival rate is lower but ZME can't seem to realize this. This past week; I called the supervisor and operational manager to observe the lack of spacing; speed; etc; that the supervisor had requested to ZME tmu. The sectors just ignore and have a lack of respect for our runway availability and WX requirements. They just want to get rid of their airplanes. Of course; the supervisor and the OM 'did not' call the ZME tmu or ZME supervisor about the lack of traffic management. I guess they're not allowed to or have no brass. They both observed these problems and did nothing. This is the usual response by management. ZME 'rules' this TRACON. With our increasing younger work force here and lack of management brass opdevs and errors will occur. We use 1 arrival controller to work a 2 arrival gate feed plus overflts; class B and satellite traffic. During moderate to heavy arrival periods; the TRACON runs on the edge of losing control. A hotline call to the FAA administrator will result in management retribution. Management is unresponsive and many supervisors have grown up in this environment and do not know better. If you complain you will be told to 'calm down' or you will be relieved from a position. Pressure is placed on controllers to handle unbelievable levels of traffic volume so 'we can keep ZME happy!'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CTLR CITES CONCERN REGARDING ZME CTLRS WHO ASSIGN WRONG FREQS AND FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SPACING AND OR SPDS TO INBOUND ACFT.

Narrative: I HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL TIMES CONCERNING WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE VERY QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES; METHODS; TECHNIQUES USED BY ALL 4 SECTORS OF ZME THAT 'FEED' ACFT TO MEM TRACON. DAILY; IF NOT BY HR AFTER HR; ARTCC CONTINUES TO ASSIGN ARRIVING OR OVERFLT ACFT INCORRECT FREQS. WE HAVE HAD SUPVRS TELL US THAT THE MAPS THAT ZME USED ARE VERY OUTDATED. I BELIEVE THEY'RE LIKELY TO BE DECADES OLD INFO. ACFT BEING SWITCHED TO THE WRONG FREQS SEEM TO BE A GAME BY ZME OR A TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT BY ZME. OUR TRACON COMBINES/DECOMBINES POS SEVERAL TIMES DAILY BASED ON LUNCH/DINNER PERIODS AND BTWN HVY PUSHES. ZME HAS USED THE EXCUSE THAT A 'LETTER' TELLS THEM TO USE THE INCORRECT FREQS OR THEY USE THE POS 'LETTER' OF THE TRACON POS THAT IS RECEIVING THE AUTOMATED RADAR HDOF. THIS IS ALSO AN EXCUSE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T EVEN GET THIS CORRECT. SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS WK WE HAVE HAD ACFT SWITCHED TO INCORRECT FREQS WHEN ALL POS ARE OPEN. NO EXCUSE FOR THIS OTHER THAN INCOMPETENCE OR A 'JUST DON'T CARE ATTITUDE.' SEVERAL TIMES WHEN POS HAVE BEEN 'SPLIT' ACFT ARE ON INCORRECT FREQS AND HAVE RECEIVED POOR SVC. LATE TURN ON TO THE LOCALIZERS; OR ACFT NOT BEING COM XFERRED TO ZME FOR DEPS AND OVERFLTS. THIS ALSO MAKES FOR ACFT BEING ON INCORRECT FREQS IN ANOTHER CTLR'S AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. WE XFER COMS TO THE CORRECT FREQS NO MATTER WHAT SECTOR WITHIN ZME IS COMBINED. ZME MUST DO THE SAME. I CAN EASILY SEE AN OPDEV OR OPERROR BEING CAUSED BY INCORRECT FREQ ASSIGNMENTS. THIS HAPPENS ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY. JUN/MON/05; SEVERAL TIMES WORKING ARR TFC FROM ZME CONCERNING HVY JET TFC; THE LEADING HVY WILL SLOW ON THEIR OWN OR SLOW WHEN INSTRUCTED BY THE ARR'S CTLRS FOR DSCNT AND THE TRAILING HVY WHICH IS NOT 10 MI IN TRAIL AND 'GOING' FAST WILL CLOSE UP TO AND LOSE REQUIRED MINIMUM WAKE TURB SEPARATION. I HAD TO SLOW A TRAILING HVY ACFT WHILE IN ZME AIRSPACE SO AS NOT TO LOSE ANY RADAR SEPARATION; MUCH LESS THAT MINIMUM RADAR SEPARATION. THIS HAPPENS DAILY AND WITH ALL TYPES OF JET ACFT. ZME USES METHODS THAT INCLUDE HAVING THE LEADING ACFT TO GO FAST BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO SET A SEQUENCE 'AT THE ARR GATE.' THIS IS TOO CLOSE AND RESULTS IN ACFT BEING STACKED INSTEAD OF BEING PLACED IN-TRAIL AT AN ACCEPTABLE SPD. ZME ALWAYS CALLS AND REQUESTS OUR APPROVAL FOR THIS AS THEIR USUAL 'OUT.' THIS USUALLY HAPPENS ON THE 'SHORT' BASE LEG SIDE WHICH 'JAMS' THE ARR CTLRS WHO HAVE TO 'TERROR VECTOR' TO GAIN REQUIRED SPACING TO THE FINAL CTLRS. THIS IS HARD TO DO ESPECIALLY WITH HVY ACFT. THIS AFTERNOON; THE MKL SECTOR FED ME JET ACFT DSNDING TO 10000 FT IN EXCESS OF 320 KTS ON THE SHORT SIDE. WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MI TO SLOW DOWN AND GET DOWN TO FEED THE FINAL CTRS. ZME AS A METHOD WILL NOT SWITCH FREQS TO US UNTIL THE BOUNDARY OF OUR AIRSPACE. WE WILL GET THESE ACFT BEING INSTRUCTED TO GO 'FAST' AND WILL COM WITH US AROUND 30-35 MI OUT FROM THE CTR OF OUR ARPT. TRANSLATION -- THE ACFT HAVE TO BE VECTORED TO SLOW DOWN AND GET DOWN. VERY POOR METHODOLOGY BY ZME AND ALL SECTORS USE THIS. THIS METHOD OF TFC MGMNT BY ALL SECTORS THAT FEED US IS UNSATISFACTORY. THESE METHODS ARE USED 'EVERY' ARR PUSH PERIOD AND BTWN PUSHES WITH HEAVIES. WE NOW HAVE SEVERAL MORE 'YOUNG' CTLRS THAT ARE ON THE EDGE TRYING TO SURVIVE HOW ZME 'JAMS' US WITH ARRS; ESPECIALLY DURING PERIODS WHERE WX DICTATES NON VISUAL APCHS. OUR ARR RATE IS LOWER BUT ZME CAN'T SEEM TO REALIZE THIS. THIS PAST WK; I CALLED THE SUPVR AND OPERATIONAL MGR TO OBSERVE THE LACK OF SPACING; SPD; ETC; THAT THE SUPVR HAD REQUESTED TO ZME TMU. THE SECTORS JUST IGNORE AND HAVE A LACK OF RESPECT FOR OUR RWY AVAILABILITY AND WX REQUIREMENTS. THEY JUST WANT TO GET RID OF THEIR AIRPLANES. OF COURSE; THE SUPVR AND THE OM 'DID NOT' CALL THE ZME TMU OR ZME SUPVR ABOUT THE LACK OF TFC MGMNT. I GUESS THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO OR HAVE NO BRASS. THEY BOTH OBSERVED THESE PROBS AND DID NOTHING. THIS IS THE USUAL RESPONSE BY MGMNT. ZME 'RULES' THIS TRACON. WITH OUR INCREASING YOUNGER WORK FORCE HERE AND LACK OF MGMNT BRASS OPDEVS AND ERRORS WILL OCCUR. WE USE 1 ARR CTLR TO WORK A 2 ARR GATE FEED PLUS OVERFLTS; CLASS B AND SATELLITE TFC. DURING MODERATE TO HVY ARR PERIODS; THE TRACON RUNS ON THE EDGE OF LOSING CTL. A HOTLINE CALL TO THE FAA ADMINISTRATOR WILL RESULT IN MGMNT RETRIBUTION. MGMNT IS UNRESPONSIVE AND MANY SUPVRS HAVE GROWN UP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND DO NOT KNOW BETTER. IF YOU COMPLAIN YOU WILL BE TOLD TO 'CALM DOWN' OR YOU WILL BE RELIEVED FROM A POS. PRESSURE IS PLACED ON CTLRS TO HANDLE UNBELIEVABLE LEVELS OF TFC VOLUME SO 'WE CAN KEEP ZME HAPPY!'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.