Narrative:

In late february; anb AFSS was apparently closed and consolidated into a hub facility in leesburg; va. This transition was supposed to be transparent. On mar/wed/07 about XA30 am; 2 aircraft at mgm and at least 1 at a satellite airport called our facility for IFR clrncs which we didn't have. All had filed with FSS. We advised them to call AFSS on the radio and they individually reported back that they were unable to contact AFSS. We tried several times on our dial-up land line and received no answer. I called the 800-WX-brief number and selected tech support (option 3). This gave me someone in washington state who really seemed to have no familiarity with alabama or the problematic AFSS facility in leesburg. After about 10 mins on hold; he tried to give me frequencys which were located several hundred mi away; not understanding why an aircraft on the ground would have a need to call AFSS on the radio. We discovered locally that we have 2 frequencys located on the field that would reach the still operational mcn AFSS; but nobody had been briefed on this and even local air traffic management was not aware of it. Luckily; it was a VFR day; so the impact on aircraft was minimal; although it did add workload to both the tower controllers and TRACON controllers. Both the TRACON and tower were working multiple military aircraft doing IFR training plus the civil workload. We were advised at some point during the process that the leesburg AFSS had declared ATC zero; and we are now exploring the backup frequencys and plan B. The transition by lockheed-martin to a consolidated has not been seamless nor transparent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MGM CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE CONSOLIDATION OF AFSS FACS THAT RESULTED IN LACK OF IFR CLRNCS AND IFSS COM FREQS.

Narrative: IN LATE FEBRUARY; ANB AFSS WAS APPARENTLY CLOSED AND CONSOLIDATED INTO A HUB FACILITY IN LEESBURG; VA. THIS TRANSITION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TRANSPARENT. ON MAR/WED/07 ABOUT XA30 AM; 2 ACFT AT MGM AND AT LEAST 1 AT A SATELLITE ARPT CALLED OUR FACILITY FOR IFR CLRNCS WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE. ALL HAD FILED WITH FSS. WE ADVISED THEM TO CALL AFSS ON THE RADIO AND THEY INDIVIDUALLY RPTED BACK THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT AFSS. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES ON OUR DIAL-UP LAND LINE AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I CALLED THE 800-WX-BRIEF NUMBER AND SELECTED TECH SUPPORT (OPTION 3). THIS GAVE ME SOMEONE IN WASHINGTON STATE WHO REALLY SEEMED TO HAVE NO FAMILIARITY WITH ALABAMA OR THE PROBLEMATIC AFSS FACILITY IN LEESBURG. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS ON HOLD; HE TRIED TO GIVE ME FREQS WHICH WERE LOCATED SEVERAL HUNDRED MI AWAY; NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY AN ACFT ON THE GND WOULD HAVE A NEED TO CALL AFSS ON THE RADIO. WE DISCOVERED LOCALLY THAT WE HAVE 2 FREQS LOCATED ON THE FIELD THAT WOULD REACH THE STILL OPERATIONAL MCN AFSS; BUT NOBODY HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THIS AND EVEN LCL AIR TFC MGMNT WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. LUCKILY; IT WAS A VFR DAY; SO THE IMPACT ON ACFT WAS MINIMAL; ALTHOUGH IT DID ADD WORKLOAD TO BOTH THE TWR CTLRS AND TRACON CTLRS. BOTH THE TRACON AND TWR WERE WORKING MULTIPLE MIL ACFT DOING IFR TRAINING PLUS THE CIVIL WORKLOAD. WE WERE ADVISED AT SOME POINT DURING THE PROCESS THAT THE LEESBURG AFSS HAD DECLARED ATC ZERO; AND WE ARE NOW EXPLORING THE BACKUP FREQS AND PLAN B. THE TRANSITION BY LOCKHEED-MARTIN TO A CONSOLIDATED HAS NOT BEEN SEAMLESS NOR TRANSPARENT.

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.