Narrative:

The lockheed north flight acceptance area is located northwest of the dfw metroplex and encompasses multiple flight areas between FL180-FL500. At about XA05Z a call from the center operations specialist position was made to the frisco operations supervisor position. The controller in charge was questioned about the torch procedure; but was unsure about the details. The center operations specialist seemed to know nothing about this procedure; which is strange since it requires several actions on his/her part. The torch departure is an IFR transition to the lockheed north sub-areas west and X (FL270-FL500 and FL310-FL500). It requires coordination 15 mins prior to the authority/authorized start of the 20 min departure window; then the sterilization of the torch corridor (000-FL500) and the lockheed north sub-areas west and X. This blocking of airspace involves navy fort worth tower (nfw); dallas/fort worth TRACON (D10); and several ZFW sectors. What actually happened was at XA43Z a lockheed north warning message was issued. This is a message letting impacted sectors know that the areas will be in use and that the ardmore high (adm-hi) sector will advise of actual start/end times. As you can see; no airspace was to be sterilized. Then at XA54Z; aircraft X launched off nfw on a torch departure. D10 was unaware of anything until the plane was rolling; at which point they successfully coordination a climb to FL230 with the overlying ZFW sector. Somehow; aircraft X was successfully stopped at FL230 rather than performing the burner climb to FL500. Meanwhile; on dallas high (dal-hi); we had a discussion about the torch and then noticed a fast moving target off nfw. We pulled the target up; and saw aircraft X with an assigned altitude of FL270 block FL500 and no mode C (because of his rapid climb rate). Knowing the sterilization requirements; we proceeded to turn aircraft X (a glf 5) from a heading of about 290 degrees (which would have transited the torch corridor about the time aircraft X transited it) to a heading of 020 degrees. This turn was started just southeast of the fuz VOR and when complete left the aircraft just clear of the now active lockheed north atcaa. We then had to turn aircraft Z (an LJ35) from a heading of about 075 degrees to a heading of 170 degrees to maintain similar clearance of the torch corridor as we were unsure of its status at that time. 2 aircraft were issued sharp and large turns due to the failure of the center operations specialist position to fulfill its duties in this matter. The number of other aircraft that transited to impacted airspace during the window when it should have been sterilized is unknown; but that there were such aircraft is not in doubt. Had the aircraft X pilot simply followed the procedure for which he was cleared; at least 4 different ZFW sectors would have been violated. As it stands; I believe ZFW management will actively try to conceal this mistake; arguing that D10's last min coordination prevented an airspace deviation. This mess had a real potential for an aircraft collision due to the failure of the center operations specialist to comply with a written procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR DESCRIBED COORD AND PROC FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN POSSIBLE OPDEVS AND SEPARATION ISSUES.

Narrative: THE LOCKHEED NORTH FLT ACCEPTANCE AREA IS LOCATED NW OF THE DFW METROPLEX AND ENCOMPASSES MULTIPLE FLT AREAS BTWN FL180-FL500. AT ABOUT XA05Z A CALL FROM THE CTR OPS SPECIALIST POS WAS MADE TO THE FRISCO OPS SUPVR POS. THE CIC WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE TORCH PROC; BUT WAS UNSURE ABOUT THE DETAILS. THE CTR OPS SPECIALIST SEEMED TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROC; WHICH IS STRANGE SINCE IT REQUIRES SEVERAL ACTIONS ON HIS/HER PART. THE TORCH DEP IS AN IFR TRANSITION TO THE LOCKHEED N SUB-AREAS W AND X (FL270-FL500 AND FL310-FL500). IT REQUIRES COORD 15 MINS PRIOR TO THE AUTH START OF THE 20 MIN DEP WINDOW; THEN THE STERILIZATION OF THE TORCH CORRIDOR (000-FL500) AND THE LOCKHEED N SUB-AREAS W AND X. THIS BLOCKING OF AIRSPACE INVOLVES NAVY FORT WORTH TWR (NFW); DALLAS/FORT WORTH TRACON (D10); AND SEVERAL ZFW SECTORS. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WAS AT XA43Z A LOCKHEED NORTH WARNING MESSAGE WAS ISSUED. THIS IS A MESSAGE LETTING IMPACTED SECTORS KNOW THAT THE AREAS WILL BE IN USE AND THAT THE ARDMORE HIGH (ADM-HI) SECTOR WILL ADVISE OF ACTUAL START/END TIMES. AS YOU CAN SEE; NO AIRSPACE WAS TO BE STERILIZED. THEN AT XA54Z; ACFT X LAUNCHED OFF NFW ON A TORCH DEP. D10 WAS UNAWARE OF ANYTHING UNTIL THE PLANE WAS ROLLING; AT WHICH POINT THEY SUCCESSFULLY COORD A CLB TO FL230 WITH THE OVERLYING ZFW SECTOR. SOMEHOW; ACFT X WAS SUCCESSFULLY STOPPED AT FL230 RATHER THAN PERFORMING THE BURNER CLB TO FL500. MEANWHILE; ON DALLAS HIGH (DAL-HI); WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TORCH AND THEN NOTICED A FAST MOVING TARGET OFF NFW. WE PULLED THE TARGET UP; AND SAW ACFT X WITH AN ASSIGNED ALT OF FL270 BLOCK FL500 AND NO MODE C (BECAUSE OF HIS RAPID CLB RATE). KNOWING THE STERILIZATION REQUIREMENTS; WE PROCEEDED TO TURN ACFT X (A GLF 5) FROM A HDG OF ABOUT 290 DEGS (WHICH WOULD HAVE TRANSITED THE TORCH CORRIDOR ABOUT THE TIME ACFT X TRANSITED IT) TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS. THIS TURN WAS STARTED JUST SE OF THE FUZ VOR AND WHEN COMPLETE LEFT THE ACFT JUST CLR OF THE NOW ACTIVE LOCKHEED NORTH ATCAA. WE THEN HAD TO TURN ACFT Z (AN LJ35) FROM A HDG OF ABOUT 075 DEGS TO A HDG OF 170 DEGS TO MAINTAIN SIMILAR CLRNC OF THE TORCH CORRIDOR AS WE WERE UNSURE OF ITS STATUS AT THAT TIME. 2 ACFT WERE ISSUED SHARP AND LARGE TURNS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CTR OPS SPECIALIST POS TO FULFILL ITS DUTIES IN THIS MATTER. THE NUMBER OF OTHER ACFT THAT TRANSITED TO IMPACTED AIRSPACE DURING THE WINDOW WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STERILIZED IS UNKNOWN; BUT THAT THERE WERE SUCH ACFT IS NOT IN DOUBT. HAD THE ACFT X PLT SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE PROC FOR WHICH HE WAS CLRED; AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT ZFW SECTORS WOULD HAVE BEEN VIOLATED. AS IT STANDS; I BELIEVE ZFW MGMNT WILL ACTIVELY TRY TO CONCEAL THIS MISTAKE; ARGUING THAT D10'S LAST MIN COORD PREVENTED AN AIRSPACE DEV. THIS MESS HAD A REAL POTENTIAL FOR AN ACFT COLLISION DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CTR OPS SPECIALIST TO COMPLY WITH A WRITTEN PROC.

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.