Narrative:

I was working arrival west (arw) in a south confign during the afternoon departure push. Mem was departing runways 18R and 18L; arriving runway 18C. Air carrier X checked in on my frequency descending out of 15000 ft with a ZME restr to cross the airspace boundary at 12000 ft. The pilot stated that there was no way that he could make the 12000 ft restr. I had no traffic; and advised the pilot to cancel the altitude restr. I later asked the pilot what STAR he was flying. The pilot stated that he had filed the marvell 3 arrival; but had later been issued the tammy one RNAV STAR. The pilot expressed some confusion due to the fact that there were no published crossing restrs on the tammy one RNAV STAR. The conventional stars for mem differ in some respects from the RNAV stars that were recently published. In the weekly team briefing today; we were informed that an 'right' in the stars data block would indicate that an aircraft had 'filed' for the RNAV STAR into mem; but that the 'right' did not necessarily mean that ZME had cleared the aircraft for the arrival. Further questioning about the RNAV STAR revealed that the 'right' doesn't mean that the aircraft is actually on the RNAV STAR; and that the aircraft could have been issued the 'conventional' STAR. So; we now have aircraft flying a STAR into our airspace; but we don't really know which STAR the aircraft is flying. It could be the 'conventional' STAR or the RNAV STAR. We have a stars radar system that displays an 'right' on our radar scope that could mean that an aircraft is capable of flying the RNAV STAR; filed for the RNAV STAR; been cleared for the RNAV STAR -- but we really don't know for sure. The RNAV stars were created for turbojets; but turboprops are arriving with an 'right' in the stars data block as well. The RNAV stars need to be cleaned up a bit. More information needs to be disseminated to the workforce regarding these new procedures. 'Expect' crossing altitude; restrs and speed need to be included on the new RNAV STAR procedures. Automation and internal procedures need to be reworked so that controllers will know exactly what STAR an aircraft is flying.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CTLR DESCRIBED CONFUSION REGARDING STAR ARR PROCS SUGGESTING CTLRS ARE NOT PROPERLY INFORMED AS TO WHAT PROC THE PLT IS USING.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ARR W (ARW) IN A S CONFIGN DURING THE AFTERNOON DEP PUSH. MEM WAS DEPARTING RWYS 18R AND 18L; ARRIVING RWY 18C. ACR X CHKED IN ON MY FREQ DSNDING OUT OF 15000 FT WITH A ZME RESTR TO CROSS THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARY AT 12000 FT. THE PLT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT HE COULD MAKE THE 12000 FT RESTR. I HAD NO TFC; AND ADVISED THE PLT TO CANCEL THE ALT RESTR. I LATER ASKED THE PLT WHAT STAR HE WAS FLYING. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD FILED THE MARVELL 3 ARR; BUT HAD LATER BEEN ISSUED THE TAMMY ONE RNAV STAR. THE PLT EXPRESSED SOME CONFUSION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO PUBLISHED XING RESTRS ON THE TAMMY ONE RNAV STAR. THE CONVENTIONAL STARS FOR MEM DIFFER IN SOME RESPECTS FROM THE RNAV STARS THAT WERE RECENTLY PUBLISHED. IN THE WEEKLY TEAM BRIEFING TODAY; WE WERE INFORMED THAT AN 'R' IN THE STARS DATA BLOCK WOULD INDICATE THAT AN ACFT HAD 'FILED' FOR THE RNAV STAR INTO MEM; BUT THAT THE 'R' DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ZME HAD CLRED THE ACFT FOR THE ARR. FURTHER QUESTIONING ABOUT THE RNAV STAR REVEALED THAT THE 'R' DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE ACFT IS ACTUALLY ON THE RNAV STAR; AND THAT THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED THE 'CONVENTIONAL' STAR. SO; WE NOW HAVE ACFT FLYING A STAR INTO OUR AIRSPACE; BUT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHICH STAR THE ACFT IS FLYING. IT COULD BE THE 'CONVENTIONAL' STAR OR THE RNAV STAR. WE HAVE A STARS RADAR SYS THAT DISPLAYS AN 'R' ON OUR RADAR SCOPE THAT COULD MEAN THAT AN ACFT IS CAPABLE OF FLYING THE RNAV STAR; FILED FOR THE RNAV STAR; BEEN CLRED FOR THE RNAV STAR -- BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. THE RNAV STARS WERE CREATED FOR TURBOJETS; BUT TURBOPROPS ARE ARRIVING WITH AN 'R' IN THE STARS DATA BLOCK AS WELL. THE RNAV STARS NEED TO BE CLEANED UP A BIT. MORE INFO NEEDS TO BE DISSEMINATED TO THE WORKFORCE REGARDING THESE NEW PROCS. 'EXPECT' XING ALT; RESTRS AND SPD NEED TO BE INCLUDED ON THE NEW RNAV STAR PROCS. AUTOMATION AND INTERNAL PROCS NEED TO BE REWORKED SO THAT CTLRS WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT STAR AN ACFT IS FLYING.

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.