Narrative:

I was working tar-D (feeder) on an east operation. Normally this position feeds runway 9R on a high left base. This airspace is very limited; approximately 8 mi radius; which restricts our ability to sequence aircraft when they come over side-by-side. I started getting a dual feed from the dalas center sector (ZTL). The primary feed is supposed to be the ERLIN5 arrival with an offload to the HERKO2 arrival. When I got the first HERKO2 arrival; I brought it to the flight manager's attention and asked them if ZTL was supposed to be feeding us over both fixes. He agreed that it didn't look good and asked the tmu what the feed was supposed to be. I was told that ZTL could feed the HERKO2 arrival with 25 mi in trail spacing. That works fine when tmu flows the ERLIN5 arrival that is a tie with the HERKO2 arrival to runway 8L. This was not happening and I was having to take excessive action in order to get the aircraft in sequence and keep them separated. The ERLIN5 arrs enter our airspace at 12000 ft and the HERKO2 arrs enter our airspace at 13000 ft. The HERKO2 arrival is south of the ERLIN5 arrival and closer to the airport. The fact that I kept getting the HERKO2 arrs late and showing 430 KTS wasn't helping any. During a 25 min period; I had 6 ERLIN5 arrs along with 5 HERKO2 arrs. During this same time period I had 2 other issues. Aircraft X came to me at 12000 ft instead of 13000 ft on the HERKO2 arrival. Then aircraft Y on the HERKO2 arrival was instructed to turn right heading 180 degrees at raptor. This turn keeps the aircraft in my airspace which is a small corridor about 5 mi wide. Aircraft Y missed the turn. I caught it in time and pointed the aircraft out to the 2 sectors that he was encroaching upon. This missed turn contributed to the extra effort I needed to put into keeping all the aircraft coming in behind him on both the ERLIN5 and HERKO2 arrs in line. The HERKO2 arrival is a new arrival which we just started using a couple weeks ago. We also just started using the descent via clrncs into atl. There have been approximately 20 instances where aircraft have descended early on their clearance which puts them in direct conflict with the atl departures climbing to 10000 ft. During a safety meeting with A80 management last week it was suggested that we restrict our feeds to single stream on all 4 fixes until the controllers and pilots are used to the descend via clrncs and all the bugs are worked out. They thought that this was an acceptable idea since we had been using a single stream for the past 3 months and it hadn't restr our acceptance rate. This was the last I heard of the suggestion. I believe that if we are using these RNAV descend via clrncs to increase productivity and safety then we need to ensure a single stream on the base side arrs immediately. The dual feed takes the aircraft off the arrs and they have to turn; slow; and descend in a very short period of time in order to ensure separation from the other aircraft and keep them in the designated airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 TRACON CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING NEW DUAL RNAV STAR ROUTES THAT DELIVER TOO MANY ACFT TO BE SAFELY SPACED AND SEQUENCED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING TAR-D (FEEDER) ON AN E OP. NORMALLY THIS POS FEEDS RWY 9R ON A HIGH L BASE. THIS AIRSPACE IS VERY LIMITED; APPROX 8 MI RADIUS; WHICH RESTRICTS OUR ABILITY TO SEQUENCE ACFT WHEN THEY COME OVER SIDE-BY-SIDE. I STARTED GETTING A DUAL FEED FROM THE DALAS CTR SECTOR (ZTL). THE PRIMARY FEED IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ERLIN5 ARR WITH AN OFFLOAD TO THE HERKO2 ARR. WHEN I GOT THE FIRST HERKO2 ARR; I BROUGHT IT TO THE FLT MGR'S ATTN AND ASKED THEM IF ZTL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FEEDING US OVER BOTH FIXES. HE AGREED THAT IT DIDN'T LOOK GOOD AND ASKED THE TMU WHAT THE FEED WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. I WAS TOLD THAT ZTL COULD FEED THE HERKO2 ARR WITH 25 MI IN TRAIL SPACING. THAT WORKS FINE WHEN TMU FLOWS THE ERLIN5 ARR THAT IS A TIE WITH THE HERKO2 ARR TO RWY 8L. THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING AND I WAS HAVING TO TAKE EXCESSIVE ACTION IN ORDER TO GET THE ACFT IN SEQUENCE AND KEEP THEM SEPARATED. THE ERLIN5 ARRS ENTER OUR AIRSPACE AT 12000 FT AND THE HERKO2 ARRS ENTER OUR AIRSPACE AT 13000 FT. THE HERKO2 ARR IS S OF THE ERLIN5 ARR AND CLOSER TO THE ARPT. THE FACT THAT I KEPT GETTING THE HERKO2 ARRS LATE AND SHOWING 430 KTS WASN'T HELPING ANY. DURING A 25 MIN PERIOD; I HAD 6 ERLIN5 ARRS ALONG WITH 5 HERKO2 ARRS. DURING THIS SAME TIME PERIOD I HAD 2 OTHER ISSUES. ACFT X CAME TO ME AT 12000 FT INSTEAD OF 13000 FT ON THE HERKO2 ARR. THEN ACFT Y ON THE HERKO2 ARR WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN R HDG 180 DEGS AT RAPTOR. THIS TURN KEEPS THE ACFT IN MY AIRSPACE WHICH IS A SMALL CORRIDOR ABOUT 5 MI WIDE. ACFT Y MISSED THE TURN. I CAUGHT IT IN TIME AND POINTED THE ACFT OUT TO THE 2 SECTORS THAT HE WAS ENCROACHING UPON. THIS MISSED TURN CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXTRA EFFORT I NEEDED TO PUT INTO KEEPING ALL THE ACFT COMING IN BEHIND HIM ON BOTH THE ERLIN5 AND HERKO2 ARRS IN LINE. THE HERKO2 ARR IS A NEW ARR WHICH WE JUST STARTED USING A COUPLE WKS AGO. WE ALSO JUST STARTED USING THE DSCNT VIA CLRNCS INTO ATL. THERE HAVE BEEN APPROX 20 INSTANCES WHERE ACFT HAVE DSNDED EARLY ON THEIR CLRNC WHICH PUTS THEM IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE ATL DEPS CLBING TO 10000 FT. DURING A SAFETY MEETING WITH A80 MGMNT LAST WK IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE RESTRICT OUR FEEDS TO SINGLE STREAM ON ALL 4 FIXES UNTIL THE CTLRS AND PLTS ARE USED TO THE DSND VIA CLRNCS AND ALL THE BUGS ARE WORKED OUT. THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS AN ACCEPTABLE IDEA SINCE WE HAD BEEN USING A SINGLE STREAM FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS AND IT HADN'T RESTR OUR ACCEPTANCE RATE. THIS WAS THE LAST I HEARD OF THE SUGGESTION. I BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE USING THESE RNAV DSND VIA CLRNCS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY THEN WE NEED TO ENSURE A SINGLE STREAM ON THE BASE SIDE ARRS IMMEDIATELY. THE DUAL FEED TAKES THE ACFT OFF THE ARRS AND THEY HAVE TO TURN; SLOW; AND DSND IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IN ORDER TO ENSURE SEPARATION FROM THE OTHER ACFT AND KEEP THEM IN THE DESIGNATED AIRSPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.