Narrative:

The approach coordinator position as defined in the san juan cerap SOP's has too many responsibilities for 1 position. The approach coordinator position has to coordination for west control; east control; satellite; and all the radar associate position if they are manned at any moment. In addition; the approach coordinator position has to receive coordination from all the center sectors around approach and with san juan; st thomas; st croix; isla grande; and beef island towers. It is almost impossible for 1 person to accomplish all of those tasks and ensure safety. It is better to have a coordinator for each position and staff them when needed. Supplemental information from acn 690499: the radar associate position; as defined in the 7110.65; has to ensure separation. The radar and associate position share; among other responsibilities; the separation between aircraft. If the radar controller has an operational deviation or operational error; depending on the situation; the radar associate can get part of the error. The radar associate position; as defined in the san juan cerap SOP's has many of the responsibilities of the radar coordinator. The radar associate has to ensure separation plus coordination with the towers; facilities; and sectors. He also has to manually type the VFR flight plans into the system. While he is performing all of those duties; the traffic picture could be lost. Also; there is a major confusion between controllers when they are assigned to this position and the supervisors who assigned the position to another controller. In some situations; all that is needed is a coordinator; but as an associate his duty is to ensure separation and not other coordination. The result of all this action is a decrease in the awareness and the safety of the sector. For example; when a controller is working R7 and another is working RA7; the R7 controller thinks that the RA7 controller is going to coordination everything and take care of the non radar separation. This is not completely correct because as RA7; the controller needs to constantly watch the radar scope to ensure separation. The actual coordination duty is shared equally between both. If the supervisor or controller needs someone to coordination only; then the correct position should be radar coordinator. The duties of the radar coordinator need to be removed from the radar associate definition in the SOP and add them to the coordination position. Also; the approach controllers; tower controllers and supervisors need to be briefed about the differences between these 2 position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZSU CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SOP POS DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS RELATED TO COORD AND RADAR ASSOCIATE POS.

Narrative: THE APCH COORDINATOR POS AS DEFINED IN THE SAN JUAN CERAP SOP'S HAS TOO MANY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR 1 POS. THE APCH COORDINATOR POS HAS TO COORD FOR W CTL; E CTL; SATELLITE; AND ALL THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS IF THEY ARE MANNED AT ANY MOMENT. IN ADDITION; THE APCH COORDINATOR POS HAS TO RECEIVE COORD FROM ALL THE CTR SECTORS AROUND APCH AND WITH SAN JUAN; ST THOMAS; ST CROIX; ISLA GRANDE; AND BEEF ISLAND TOWERS. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR 1 PERSON TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THOSE TASKS AND ENSURE SAFETY. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE A COORDINATOR FOR EACH POS AND STAFF THEM WHEN NEEDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 690499: THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS; AS DEFINED IN THE 7110.65; HAS TO ENSURE SEPARATION. THE RADAR AND ASSOCIATE POS SHARE; AMONG OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES; THE SEPARATION BTWN ACFT. IF THE RADAR CTLR HAS AN OPDEV OR OPERROR; DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION; THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CAN GET PART OF THE ERROR. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS; AS DEFINED IN THE SAN JUAN CERAP SOP'S HAS MANY OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RADAR COORDINATOR. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE HAS TO ENSURE SEPARATION PLUS COORD WITH THE TWRS; FACILITIES; AND SECTORS. HE ALSO HAS TO MANUALLY TYPE THE VFR FLT PLANS INTO THE SYS. WHILE HE IS PERFORMING ALL OF THOSE DUTIES; THE TFC PICTURE COULD BE LOST. ALSO; THERE IS A MAJOR CONFUSION BTWN CTLRS WHEN THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THIS POS AND THE SUPVRS WHO ASSIGNED THE POS TO ANOTHER CTLR. IN SOME SITUATIONS; ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS A COORDINATOR; BUT AS AN ASSOCIATE HIS DUTY IS TO ENSURE SEPARATION AND NOT OTHER COORD. THE RESULT OF ALL THIS ACTION IS A DECREASE IN THE AWARENESS AND THE SAFETY OF THE SECTOR. FOR EXAMPLE; WHEN A CTLR IS WORKING R7 AND ANOTHER IS WORKING RA7; THE R7 CTLR THINKS THAT THE RA7 CTLR IS GOING TO COORD EVERYTHING AND TAKE CARE OF THE NON RADAR SEPARATION. THIS IS NOT COMPLETELY CORRECT BECAUSE AS RA7; THE CTLR NEEDS TO CONSTANTLY WATCH THE RADAR SCOPE TO ENSURE SEPARATION. THE ACTUAL COORD DUTY IS SHARED EQUALLY BTWN BOTH. IF THE SUPVR OR CTLR NEEDS SOMEONE TO COORD ONLY; THEN THE CORRECT POS SHOULD BE RADAR COORDINATOR. THE DUTIES OF THE RADAR COORDINATOR NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RADAR ASSOCIATE DEFINITION IN THE SOP AND ADD THEM TO THE COORD POS. ALSO; THE APCH CTLRS; TWR CTLRS AND SUPVRS NEED TO BE BRIEFED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BTWN THESE 2 POS.

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.