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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Attributes | |
ACN | 749074 |
Time | |
Date | 200708 |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx.artcc |
State Reference | FL |
Environment | |
Weather Elements | Thunderstorm Rain |
Light | Daylight |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : radar |
Experience | controller radar : 1 controller time certified in position1 : 1 |
ASRS Report | 749074 |
Events | |
Anomaly | other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other controllera |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | FAA |
Primary Problem | FAA |
Situations | |
ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zjx.artcc |
Narrative:
While instructing at R68; I observed what I believe to be an unsafe situation. Due to severe WX in the northeastern united states there were huge mi-in-trail (mit) flow restrs backed up to ZJX from ZDC. At this time; our sector was required to provide the next sector with 40 mi-in-trail on all aircraft landing in the washington; dc area; meaning 40 mi-in-trail as one to dca; iad; bwi; and adw. The ZJX tmu is responsible for ensuring that ZJX complies with the restrs; and they are responsible for ensuring the edct and release times are complied with for departures in ZJX airspace. Due to the failure of ZJX tmu to do their jobs; our sector received 2 iad arrs with no more than 8 mi-in-trail. 1 aircraft departed mlb; the other departed mco. ZJX tmu dropped the ball by letting these aircraft off together. Because of this mistake; we were forced to apply heavy speed reduction and excessive vectoring to achieve the required mi-in-trail. This was a very dangerous situation; as our vector was being impacted by severe WX from crg to sav and northeast to chs. We were very busy with deviations; volume; and WX advisories. Vectoring and/or slowing an aircraft excessively during a period of heavy deviations is; I feel very unsafe. We commented on this situation to our supervisor; who relayed the complaint to tmu. Approximately 15 mins later we were faced with the exact same situation. Flow control allowed the release of a bwi arrival off of mco near the time they allowed a dca arrival off of tpa. These aircraft arrived in our sector with less than 5 mi-in-trail. It is the job of tmu to ensure that this exact scenario does not happen; especially during periods of severe WX in ZJX airspace. Tmu again did not do their jobs; and we had to engage in the unsafe practice of extreme vectors and speed reduction. Tmu's failure to do their job is a chronic problem in ZJX; and I fear that it will lead to accidents.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED LACK OF TMU SUPPORT DURING BUSY/COMPLEX TFC ROUTED INTO ZDC AIRSPACE.
Narrative: WHILE INSTRUCTING AT R68; I OBSERVED WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE AN UNSAFE SIT. DUE TO SEVERE WX IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES THERE WERE HUGE MI-IN-TRAIL (MIT) FLOW RESTRS BACKED UP TO ZJX FROM ZDC. AT THIS TIME; OUR SECTOR WAS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE NEXT SECTOR WITH 40 MI-IN-TRAIL ON ALL ACFT LNDG IN THE WASHINGTON; DC AREA; MEANING 40 MI-IN-TRAIL AS ONE TO DCA; IAD; BWI; AND ADW. THE ZJX TMU IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ZJX COMPLIES WITH THE RESTRS; AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE EDCT AND RELEASE TIMES ARE COMPLIED WITH FOR DEPS IN ZJX AIRSPACE. DUE TO THE FAILURE OF ZJX TMU TO DO THEIR JOBS; OUR SECTOR RECEIVED 2 IAD ARRS WITH NO MORE THAN 8 MI-IN-TRAIL. 1 ACFT DEPARTED MLB; THE OTHER DEPARTED MCO. ZJX TMU DROPPED THE BALL BY LETTING THESE ACFT OFF TOGETHER. BECAUSE OF THIS MISTAKE; WE WERE FORCED TO APPLY HVY SPD REDUCTION AND EXCESSIVE VECTORING TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED MI-IN-TRAIL. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT; AS OUR VECTOR WAS BEING IMPACTED BY SEVERE WX FROM CRG TO SAV AND NE TO CHS. WE WERE VERY BUSY WITH DEVS; VOLUME; AND WX ADVISORIES. VECTORING AND/OR SLOWING AN ACFT EXCESSIVELY DURING A PERIOD OF HVY DEVS IS; I FEEL VERY UNSAFE. WE COMMENTED ON THIS SIT TO OUR SUPVR; WHO RELAYED THE COMPLAINT TO TMU. APPROX 15 MINS LATER WE WERE FACED WITH THE EXACT SAME SIT. FLOW CTL ALLOWED THE RELEASE OF A BWI ARR OFF OF MCO NEAR THE TIME THEY ALLOWED A DCA ARR OFF OF TPA. THESE ACFT ARRIVED IN OUR SECTOR WITH LESS THAN 5 MI-IN-TRAIL. IT IS THE JOB OF TMU TO ENSURE THAT THIS EXACT SCENARIO DOES NOT HAPPEN; ESPECIALLY DURING PERIODS OF SEVERE WX IN ZJX AIRSPACE. TMU AGAIN DID NOT DO THEIR JOBS; AND WE HAD TO ENGAGE IN THE UNSAFE PRACTICE OF EXTREME VECTORS AND SPD REDUCTION. TMU'S FAILURE TO DO THEIR JOB IS A CHRONIC PROB IN ZJX; AND I FEAR THAT IT WILL LEAD TO ACCIDENTS.
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.