Narrative:

Erids (en route information display system) is an automated system being deployed at ARTCC sectors and is intended to present static ATC information (including approach plates and NOTAMS) to controllers. ZMP ATC controllers were briefed in a memo entitled 'subject: interim en route information display system (erids) air traffic procedures' that controllers may not obtain NOTAMS from the 'home page' of erids (a summary page of NOTAMS); even though the same document reiterates that dissemination of NOTAMS to pilots is a high priority in terms of safety. This is because the home page of erids may not display all the pertinent NOTAMS. This problem was noted before erids went operational; and there was a week delay while apparently management devised a workaround to the problem instead of fixing the problem itself. Apparently the FAA believes that aggressively deploying new equipment on a schedule is more important than ensuring the equipment works properly. The workarounds to this erids bug/deficiency that were mandated in the same document are tedious and time consuming which is detrimental to safety in a live air traffic environment. I was working 3 low altitude sectors in combination when a pilot reported a bird strike causing the loss of his right windshield. The pilot requested airport information for nearby airports which had me busy looking up airport information and relaying it to him. Meanwhile there were other aircraft on my numerous frequencys; including arrs at other airports that needed NOTAMS. Each of these required that I look up the NOTAMS on erids for each airport individually. The previous method of scanning a summary sheet for NOTAMS was replaced by erids in which controllers need to make several touch selections on a computer screen to get to a NOTAM list for each airport individually. The aircraft with the broken windshield decided to land at decorah; ia. He reported the airport in sight and I cleared him for a visual approach. However; because of the tedious and time consuming method of finding NOTAMS on the erids; it took some time before I discovered that the decorah airport was closed at night. I relayed this information to the pilot; who eventually decided to proceed to lacrosse; wi; to land safely. The lack of a NOTAM summary causes an unsafe situation in cases such like this; when the controller is tasked with finding information quickly on several different computerized system. Erids has actually increased controllers' workloads.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMP CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE FACILITY'S POLICY OF NOTAM INFO AVAILABLE ON 'ENRTE INFO DISPLAY SYS' (ERIDS).

Narrative: ERIDS (ENRTE INFO DISPLAY SYS) IS AN AUTOMATED SYS BEING DEPLOYED AT ARTCC SECTORS AND IS INTENDED TO PRESENT STATIC ATC INFO (INCLUDING APCH PLATES AND NOTAMS) TO CTLRS. ZMP ATC CTLRS WERE BRIEFED IN A MEMO ENTITLED 'SUBJECT: INTERIM ENRTE INFO DISPLAY SYS (ERIDS) AIR TFC PROCS' THAT CTLRS MAY NOT OBTAIN NOTAMS FROM THE 'HOME PAGE' OF ERIDS (A SUMMARY PAGE OF NOTAMS); EVEN THOUGH THE SAME DOCUMENT REITERATES THAT DISSEMINATION OF NOTAMS TO PLTS IS A HIGH PRIORITY IN TERMS OF SAFETY. THIS IS BECAUSE THE HOME PAGE OF ERIDS MAY NOT DISPLAY ALL THE PERTINENT NOTAMS. THIS PROB WAS NOTED BEFORE ERIDS WENT OPERATIONAL; AND THERE WAS A WK DELAY WHILE APPARENTLY MGMNT DEVISED A WORKAROUND TO THE PROB INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROB ITSELF. APPARENTLY THE FAA BELIEVES THAT AGGRESSIVELY DEPLOYING NEW EQUIP ON A SCHEDULE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ENSURING THE EQUIP WORKS PROPERLY. THE WORKAROUNDS TO THIS ERIDS BUG/DEFICIENCY THAT WERE MANDATED IN THE SAME DOCUMENT ARE TEDIOUS AND TIME CONSUMING WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO SAFETY IN A LIVE AIR TFC ENVIRONMENT. I WAS WORKING 3 LOW ALT SECTORS IN COMBINATION WHEN A PLT RPTED A BIRD STRIKE CAUSING THE LOSS OF HIS R WINDSHIELD. THE PLT REQUESTED ARPT INFO FOR NEARBY ARPTS WHICH HAD ME BUSY LOOKING UP ARPT INFO AND RELAYING IT TO HIM. MEANWHILE THERE WERE OTHER ACFT ON MY NUMEROUS FREQS; INCLUDING ARRS AT OTHER ARPTS THAT NEEDED NOTAMS. EACH OF THESE REQUIRED THAT I LOOK UP THE NOTAMS ON ERIDS FOR EACH ARPT INDIVIDUALLY. THE PREVIOUS METHOD OF SCANNING A SUMMARY SHEET FOR NOTAMS WAS REPLACED BY ERIDS IN WHICH CTLRS NEED TO MAKE SEVERAL TOUCH SELECTIONS ON A COMPUTER SCREEN TO GET TO A NOTAM LIST FOR EACH ARPT INDIVIDUALLY. THE ACFT WITH THE BROKEN WINDSHIELD DECIDED TO LAND AT DECORAH; IA. HE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND I CLRED HIM FOR A VISUAL APCH. HOWEVER; BECAUSE OF THE TEDIOUS AND TIME CONSUMING METHOD OF FINDING NOTAMS ON THE ERIDS; IT TOOK SOME TIME BEFORE I DISCOVERED THAT THE DECORAH ARPT WAS CLOSED AT NIGHT. I RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE PLT; WHO EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO PROCEED TO LACROSSE; WI; TO LAND SAFELY. THE LACK OF A NOTAM SUMMARY CAUSES AN UNSAFE SITUATION IN CASES SUCH LIKE THIS; WHEN THE CTLR IS TASKED WITH FINDING INFO QUICKLY ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPUTERIZED SYS. ERIDS HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED CTLRS' WORKLOADS.

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.