Narrative:

ZFW management recently rescinded a waiver to faao 7110.65 5-14-3 (reference 7210.3 8-2-7) related to entry of temporary altitudes. Specifically; departures from dfw approach (D10) had operated under a waiver from the temporary altitude requirements referenced in 7110.65 5-14-3 for 20+ yrs due to the high volume of traffic departing the D10 airspace. Aircraft were handed off low to high with the requested altitude in the data block. This procedure and waiver is utilized at many ARTCC's nationwide; and benefits the controllers by allowing the controller to focus on separation rather than data entry. The requirement now becomes for uim-lo (83) to enter FL230 into the data block and; therefore; for either txk-hi (90) or slr-hi (71) to remove that temporary altitude. This procedure has created (to name a few): increased workload on controllers for all 3 sectors (entry then removal); a change in operating practices for the high controllers as they must locate the requested altitude by other methods (FL230 appears as assigned altitude on handoff; not the requested as with the waiver); a decrease in the accuracy of the uret conflict probe as uret reads the temporary FL230 rather than the assigned altitude; and late uret conflict status alerts for high altitude sectors (until the FL230 is removed). Interestingly; management states the impetus for this change was one operational error (over the last 20+ yrs) with the expected result being no more errors. However; this requirement only applies to only 1 of the 4 departure sectors abutting D10 airspace. The management team idented above went a step further in their goal to conform with 7110.65 5-14-3. Effective 05-xa-2007; host automation will; upon handoff from D10 to uim-lo (83); display a temporary altitude of 170 for all jet departures. This decision will; in addition to the adverse impact already being felt by the FL230 requirement; require controllers on uim-lo (83) to seek other sources to determine the requested altitude for departures. Again; this new change only applies to 1 of the 4 departure sectors -- and the busiest at that -- and none of the other approach controls who handoff aircraft to ZFW. The waiver is designed to reduce workload on busy departure sectors; and worked effectively for the last 20+ yrs. Now; with the increasing volume of aircraft in the sector; the additional workload and distrs this creates will result in more operational problems than one could count. No consideration has been given to the negative operational impact created; especially to adjoining sectors who do not operate under these rules yet interact with our departures daily. To completely change the operation of this sector as management has done without considering all impacts is reckless.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING NEW DFW DEP PROC; ALLEGING PROC CREATES MORE WORK/DISTRACTIONS; AFFECTS URET; AND INCREASES POTENTIAL FOR OPERRORS.

Narrative: ZFW MGMNT RECENTLY RESCINDED A WAIVER TO FAAO 7110.65 5-14-3 (REF 7210.3 8-2-7) RELATED TO ENTRY OF TEMPORARY ALTS. SPECIFICALLY; DEPS FROM DFW APCH (D10) HAD OPERATED UNDER A WAIVER FROM THE TEMPORARY ALT REQUIREMENTS REFED IN 7110.65 5-14-3 FOR 20+ YRS DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC DEPARTING THE D10 AIRSPACE. ACFT WERE HANDED OFF LOW TO HIGH WITH THE REQUESTED ALT IN THE DATA BLOCK. THIS PROC AND WAIVER IS UTILIZED AT MANY ARTCC'S NATIONWIDE; AND BENEFITS THE CTLRS BY ALLOWING THE CTLR TO FOCUS ON SEPARATION RATHER THAN DATA ENTRY. THE REQUIREMENT NOW BECOMES FOR UIM-LO (83) TO ENTER FL230 INTO THE DATA BLOCK AND; THEREFORE; FOR EITHER TXK-HI (90) OR SLR-HI (71) TO REMOVE THAT TEMPORARY ALT. THIS PROC HAS CREATED (TO NAME A FEW): INCREASED WORKLOAD ON CTLRS FOR ALL 3 SECTORS (ENTRY THEN REMOVAL); A CHANGE IN OPERATING PRACTICES FOR THE HIGH CTLRS AS THEY MUST LOCATE THE REQUESTED ALT BY OTHER METHODS (FL230 APPEARS AS ASSIGNED ALT ON HDOF; NOT THE REQUESTED AS WITH THE WAIVER); A DECREASE IN THE ACCURACY OF THE URET CONFLICT PROBE AS URET READS THE TEMPORARY FL230 RATHER THAN THE ASSIGNED ALT; AND LATE URET CONFLICT STATUS ALERTS FOR HIGH ALT SECTORS (UNTIL THE FL230 IS REMOVED). INTERESTINGLY; MGMNT STATES THE IMPETUS FOR THIS CHANGE WAS ONE OPERROR (OVER THE LAST 20+ YRS) WITH THE EXPECTED RESULT BEING NO MORE ERRORS. HOWEVER; THIS REQUIREMENT ONLY APPLIES TO ONLY 1 OF THE 4 DEP SECTORS ABUTTING D10 AIRSPACE. THE MGMNT TEAM IDENTED ABOVE WENT A STEP FURTHER IN THEIR GOAL TO CONFORM WITH 7110.65 5-14-3. EFFECTIVE 05-XA-2007; HOST AUTOMATION WILL; UPON HDOF FROM D10 TO UIM-LO (83); DISPLAY A TEMPORARY ALT OF 170 FOR ALL JET DEPS. THIS DECISION WILL; IN ADDITION TO THE ADVERSE IMPACT ALREADY BEING FELT BY THE FL230 REQUIREMENT; REQUIRE CTLRS ON UIM-LO (83) TO SEEK OTHER SOURCES TO DETERMINE THE REQUESTED ALT FOR DEPS. AGAIN; THIS NEW CHANGE ONLY APPLIES TO 1 OF THE 4 DEP SECTORS -- AND THE BUSIEST AT THAT -- AND NONE OF THE OTHER APCH CTLS WHO HDOF ACFT TO ZFW. THE WAIVER IS DESIGNED TO REDUCE WORKLOAD ON BUSY DEP SECTORS; AND WORKED EFFECTIVELY FOR THE LAST 20+ YRS. NOW; WITH THE INCREASING VOLUME OF ACFT IN THE SECTOR; THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD AND DISTRS THIS CREATES WILL RESULT IN MORE OPERATIONAL PROBS THAN ONE COULD COUNT. NO CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE NEGATIVE OPERATIONAL IMPACT CREATED; ESPECIALLY TO ADJOINING SECTORS WHO DO NOT OPERATE UNDER THESE RULES YET INTERACT WITH OUR DEPS DAILY. TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THE OP OF THIS SECTOR AS MGMNT HAS DONE WITHOUT CONSIDERING ALL IMPACTS IS RECKLESS.

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.