Pct controller expressed concern regarding military's unwillingness to release airspace during busy ...

Attributes
ACN	663033
Time
Date	200506
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 13
ASRS Report	663033
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airspace Structure FAA
Primary Problem	Airspace Structure

Narrative:

On the evening of jun/wed/05 severe thunderstorms in the vicinity of bwi airport forced numerous aircraft to deviate off their fpr. The aberdeen restr area (R4001A) was active and that airspace was not available for air traffic. This caused an unsafe situation for aircraft having to be vectored around both thunderstorms and R4001A. It caused at least an additional 30+ flying mi as well as coordination problems. The supervisor called range control at R4001A numerous times to get the airspace; but was denied. Normally R4001A is inactive after XA00; but that night they were doing a project. The previous evening had similar WX conditions (thunderstorms) and the supervisor was able to convince R4001A to cancel their project and make the airspace available. I feel an unsafe situation was caused by R4001A range control. I propose FAA ATC be given the authority to take R4001A airspace for safety reasons.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PCT CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING MIL'S UNWILLINGNESS TO RELEASE AIRSPACE DURING BUSY TFC PERIOD TO BWI THAT REQUIRED FREQUENT WX AVOIDANCE VECTORS.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF JUN/WED/05 SEVERE TSTMS IN THE VICINITY OF BWI ARPT FORCED NUMEROUS ACFT TO DEVIATE OFF THEIR FPR. THE ABERDEEN RESTR AREA (R4001A) WAS ACTIVE AND THAT AIRSPACE WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR AIR TFC. THIS CAUSED AN UNSAFE SIT FOR ACFT HAVING TO BE VECTORED AROUND BOTH TSTMS AND R4001A. IT CAUSED AT LEAST AN ADDITIONAL 30+ FLYING MI AS WELL AS COORD PROBS. THE SUPVR CALLED RANGE CTL AT R4001A NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET THE AIRSPACE; BUT WAS DENIED. NORMALLY R4001A IS INACTIVE AFTER XA00; BUT THAT NIGHT THEY WERE DOING A PROJECT. THE PREVIOUS EVENING HAD SIMILAR WX CONDITIONS (TSTMS) AND THE SUPVR WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE R4001A TO CANCEL THEIR PROJECT AND MAKE THE AIRSPACE AVAILABLE. I FEEL AN UNSAFE SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY R4001A RANGE CTL. I PROPOSE FAA ATC BE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE R4001A AIRSPACE FOR SAFETY REASONS.

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.

Pct controller expressed concern regarding military's unwillingness to release airspace during busy traffic period to bwi that required frequent WX avoidance vectors.