Narrative:

Stars (standard terminal arrival rtes) went into effect at omaha; northeast TRACON (R90). The new stars and procedures associated with it directly affected 2 operation areas in ZMP as well as other adjacent center facilities. However; the training for the center controllers was minimal or absent with many of the procedures developed by mgrs not certified on the sectors involved. The lack of proper and complete training for controllers regarding the new stars does not meet the FAA mission of promoting safety or efficiency in the airspace system. The ZMP areas working adjacent to R90 had no previous experience working directly with tracons running stars. Therefore they had no idea what to expect or how to handle the new procedures associated with the stars. There was no simulation; computer modeling or other testing of the new stars; procedures and their impact on traffic and workload. The only training given to ZMP controllers was a brief powerpoint presentation covering items in the new LOA with R90. At some briefings the manager presenting it refused to answer questions from controllers. On the other hand omaha approach (R90) controllers were given simulation training for the new stars and associated procedures. Requests for dynamic simulation training (dysim) from ZMP controllers were ignored. Many controllers expressed to management that they were not comfortable working traffic with the new stars given the amount of training they received but were forced to do so regardless. The new LOA was not available on the en route display information display system (erids) when the stars went into use. Draft copies of the new LOA were left in the operations area as well instead of the final copies. This caused additional confusion. Deploying new procedures and airspace configns without any testing and minimal training is neither safe nor efficient. Live traffic should not be used to test new procedures with controllers unfamiliar with them; especially considering there are safe methods by which to do this. The training for and development of the stars into R90 and associated procedures does not promote the safety or efficiency of the air traffic system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMP CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF TRAINING/INFO REF THE NEW STARS FOR OMA.

Narrative: STARS (STANDARD TERMINAL ARR RTES) WENT INTO EFFECT AT OMAHA; NE TRACON (R90). THE NEW STARS AND PROCS ASSOCIATED WITH IT DIRECTLY AFFECTED 2 OP AREAS IN ZMP AS WELL AS OTHER ADJACENT CTR FACILITIES. HOWEVER; THE TRAINING FOR THE CTR CTLRS WAS MINIMAL OR ABSENT WITH MANY OF THE PROCS DEVELOPED BY MGRS NOT CERTIFIED ON THE SECTORS INVOLVED. THE LACK OF PROPER AND COMPLETE TRAINING FOR CTLRS REGARDING THE NEW STARS DOES NOT MEET THE FAA MISSION OF PROMOTING SAFETY OR EFFICIENCY IN THE AIRSPACE SYS. THE ZMP AREAS WORKING ADJACENT TO R90 HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH TRACONS RUNNING STARS. THEREFORE THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT OR HOW TO HANDLE THE NEW PROCS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STARS. THERE WAS NO SIMULATION; COMPUTER MODELING OR OTHER TESTING OF THE NEW STARS; PROCS AND THEIR IMPACT ON TFC AND WORKLOAD. THE ONLY TRAINING GIVEN TO ZMP CTLRS WAS A BRIEF POWERPOINT PRESENTATION COVERING ITEMS IN THE NEW LOA WITH R90. AT SOME BRIEFINGS THE MGR PRESENTING IT REFUSED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM CTLRS. ON THE OTHER HAND OMAHA APCH (R90) CTLRS WERE GIVEN SIMULATION TRAINING FOR THE NEW STARS AND ASSOCIATED PROCS. REQUESTS FOR DYNAMIC SIMULATION TRAINING (DYSIM) FROM ZMP CTLRS WERE IGNORED. MANY CTLRS EXPRESSED TO MGMNT THAT THEY WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING TFC WITH THE NEW STARS GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING THEY RECEIVED BUT WERE FORCED TO DO SO REGARDLESS. THE NEW LOA WAS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE ENRTE DISPLAY INFO DISPLAY SYS (ERIDS) WHEN THE STARS WENT INTO USE. DRAFT COPIES OF THE NEW LOA WERE LEFT IN THE OPS AREA AS WELL INSTEAD OF THE FINAL COPIES. THIS CAUSED ADDITIONAL CONFUSION. DEPLOYING NEW PROCS AND AIRSPACE CONFIGNS WITHOUT ANY TESTING AND MINIMAL TRAINING IS NEITHER SAFE NOR EFFICIENT. LIVE TFC SHOULD NOT BE USED TO TEST NEW PROCS WITH CTLRS UNFAMILIAR WITH THEM; ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THERE ARE SAFE METHODS BY WHICH TO DO THIS. THE TRAINING FOR AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STARS INTO R90 AND ASSOCIATED PROCS DOES NOT PROMOTE THE SAFETY OR EFFICIENCY OF THE AIR TFC SYS.

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.