37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 740285 |
Time | |
Date | 200705 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : mia.tracon |
State Reference | FL |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : approach |
Qualification | controller : radar |
Experience | controller radar : 21 controller time certified in position1 : 6 |
ASRS Report | 740285 |
Events | |
Independent Detector | other controllera |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | FAA |
Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
I was working the 'right' radar position in mia TRACON. A special event was in progress. I was working aircraft handed off to me from center at 8000 ft and descending them wbound along the airspace line to 4000 ft in the 'left' controller's airspace. Additionally; aircraft were being handed off to me from pbi approach control at 4000 ft on a southwest heading. These aircraft were being handed off to me at the 'right' position even though they were entering the 'left' controller's airspace. The 'left' controller was working aircraft northbound in this same airspace from 4000-16000 ft. This operation was being conducted as instructed in a hot brief read and initial item given approximately 1 week before. I had taken an aircraft from pbi at 4000 ft and was about to xfer it to the 'G' controller when I saw a limited data block for an aircraft at 4000 ft on a converging course. I turned my aircraft southeast and coordination with the 'left' controller that was working the other aircraft; he turned his aircraft northwest. These aircraft missed by 4.3 mi and 100 ft. The ill-fated nature of the procedure spelled out in the hot brief was pointed out by several controllers to the area manager in charge of the special event the day it was put into the read and initial binder. The response was to mark the document with arrows; question marks; and tbd. Nothing was changed in the procedure for special event days. The concerns of the controllers were ignored. As a result; we very nearly had a loss of separation between 2 aircraft. A short time later; I was working the mia north departure position. A center controller called and asked me to take a special event aircraft through my departure area from 16000 ft descending direct to the special event airspace. The center controller taking the north departures from mia TRACON had already refused to take the aircraft through his sector. I told the center controller that I was unable to accept the aircraft due to mia and fll departures climbing to 16000 ft in this same area. I told the center controller to bring the aircraft into our airspace via a normal arrival area. Approximately 2 mins later the area manager came over to my radar position and told me he was bringing this aircraft through my airspace and told me to show him what traffic he had to miss. The area manager then had this aircraft descend through my airspace without my approval. I find the willingness to disregard safety and good operating practice most distressing. It is my profound hope that these poor procedures and safety issues will be addressed!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MIA TRACON CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING TEMPORARY PROCS USED DURING SPECIAL EVENT; CLAIMING POOR PROCS; SAFETY CONCERNS AND MINIMAL BRIEFINGS.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE 'R' RADAR POS IN MIA TRACON. A SPECIAL EVENT WAS IN PROGRESS. I WAS WORKING ACFT HANDED OFF TO ME FROM CTR AT 8000 FT AND DSNDING THEM WBOUND ALONG THE AIRSPACE LINE TO 4000 FT IN THE 'L' CTLR'S AIRSPACE. ADDITIONALLY; ACFT WERE BEING HANDED OFF TO ME FROM PBI APCH CTL AT 4000 FT ON A SW HDG. THESE ACFT WERE BEING HANDED OFF TO ME AT THE 'R' POS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ENTERING THE 'L' CTLR'S AIRSPACE. THE 'L' CTLR WAS WORKING ACFT NBOUND IN THIS SAME AIRSPACE FROM 4000-16000 FT. THIS OP WAS BEING CONDUCTED AS INSTRUCTED IN A HOT BRIEF READ AND INITIAL ITEM GIVEN APPROX 1 WK BEFORE. I HAD TAKEN AN ACFT FROM PBI AT 4000 FT AND WAS ABOUT TO XFER IT TO THE 'G' CTLR WHEN I SAW A LIMITED DATA BLOCK FOR AN ACFT AT 4000 FT ON A CONVERGING COURSE. I TURNED MY ACFT SE AND COORD WITH THE 'L' CTLR THAT WAS WORKING THE OTHER ACFT; HE TURNED HIS ACFT NW. THESE ACFT MISSED BY 4.3 MI AND 100 FT. THE ILL-FATED NATURE OF THE PROC SPELLED OUT IN THE HOT BRIEF WAS POINTED OUT BY SEVERAL CTLRS TO THE AREA MGR IN CHARGE OF THE SPECIAL EVENT THE DAY IT WAS PUT INTO THE READ AND INITIAL BINDER. THE RESPONSE WAS TO MARK THE DOCUMENT WITH ARROWS; QUESTION MARKS; AND TBD. NOTHING WAS CHANGED IN THE PROC FOR SPECIAL EVENT DAYS. THE CONCERNS OF THE CTLRS WERE IGNORED. AS A RESULT; WE VERY NEARLY HAD A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN 2 ACFT. A SHORT TIME LATER; I WAS WORKING THE MIA N DEP POS. A CTR CTLR CALLED AND ASKED ME TO TAKE A SPECIAL EVENT ACFT THROUGH MY DEP AREA FROM 16000 FT DSNDING DIRECT TO THE SPECIAL EVENT AIRSPACE. THE CTR CTLR TAKING THE N DEPS FROM MIA TRACON HAD ALREADY REFUSED TO TAKE THE ACFT THROUGH HIS SECTOR. I TOLD THE CTR CTLR THAT I WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE ACFT DUE TO MIA AND FLL DEPS CLBING TO 16000 FT IN THIS SAME AREA. I TOLD THE CTR CTLR TO BRING THE ACFT INTO OUR AIRSPACE VIA A NORMAL ARR AREA. APPROX 2 MINS LATER THE AREA MGR CAME OVER TO MY RADAR POS AND TOLD ME HE WAS BRINGING THIS ACFT THROUGH MY AIRSPACE AND TOLD ME TO SHOW HIM WHAT TFC HE HAD TO MISS. THE AREA MGR THEN HAD THIS ACFT DSND THROUGH MY AIRSPACE WITHOUT MY APPROVAL. I FIND THE WILLINGNESS TO DISREGARD SAFETY AND GOOD OPERATING PRACTICE MOST DISTRESSING. IT IS MY PROFOUND HOPE THAT THESE POOR PROCS AND SAFETY ISSUES WILL BE ADDRESSED!
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.