Narrative:

Several 45+ min delays at anc airport were officially attributed to WX when; in fact; the reason was poor judgement by the anchorage TRACON (A11) tmu. The WX when I reported for duty was greater than 1 mi visibility and an RVR primarily fluctuating between 4000-4500 ft. The ILS to runway 14 was in use; the minimums of which are greater than 1 mi and RVR 4000 ft. The minimums for the ILS to runways 7L and 7R are = mile and RVR 1800; with CAT ii (RVR 1200) and CAT III (RVR 700; 600; and north/a) available for the ILS to runway 7R. Departures were assigned runways 25L and 25R. I queried the supervisor responsible for the operation as to why we were using the runway 14 ILS with winds less than 10 KTS from the ssw with the WX at minimums; but received no explanation except that the tmu decided on the confign. The visibility dropped to = mile shortly thereafter with the RVR remaining at or above 4000 ft. 1 of the 2 tmu specialists happened to be standing near my control position so I asked him why we weren't changing to landing runways 7L and/or 7R while the arrival and departure traffic was still light. He responded that the wind had been higher; the pilots had been requesting runways 25L and 25R for departures; and the RVR had been remaining at or above 4000 ft. The runway confign remained unchanged. Before long; the RVR dropped below 4000 ft; but several arrs were in A11 airspace on vectors for the runway 14 ILS and numerous departures had taxied to runways 25L and/or 25R. The arrs were vectored to the ILS for runway 7R and the departures were redirected to runway 14; but had to receive additional icing prior to departure. These are the aircraft that sustained the 45+ min delays. The A11 tmu specialists have displayed a habit during periods of heavy traffic density of assigning arriving traffic alternate arrival gates and crossover pattern entries; ie; to a left downwind instead of a right downwind; as opposed to instructing the ARTCC to place them in holding patterns at altitudes and speeds that prevent excessive use of fuel. These arrs are assigned random vectors that direct them toward areas of higher terrain without vertical separation and above departure corridors with departing traffic restr below them; but needing to climb. These arrs sometimes fly more than 60 additional mi in A11 airspace on random vectors and at speeds as low as 170 KTS. Taking into account that more than less than of A11 airspace is unusable at low altitudes because of mountainous terrain; the conflicts between arrs and other arrs as well as departures become more serious. The likelihood of operrors; opdevs; or nmacs unnecessarily increases. The general benefit of the A11 tmu is minimal; sometimes causing more complexity than is relieved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY TFC MGMNT PROCS; CITING POOR RWY CONFIGURATIONS THAT RESULTS IN UNNECESSARY ACFT FUEL USAGE.

Narrative: SEVERAL 45+ MIN DELAYS AT ANC ARPT WERE OFFICIALLY ATTRIBUTED TO WX WHEN; IN FACT; THE REASON WAS POOR JUDGEMENT BY THE ANCHORAGE TRACON (A11) TMU. THE WX WHEN I RPTED FOR DUTY WAS GREATER THAN 1 MI VISIBILITY AND AN RVR PRIMARILY FLUCTUATING BTWN 4000-4500 FT. THE ILS TO RWY 14 WAS IN USE; THE MINIMUMS OF WHICH ARE GREATER THAN 1 MI AND RVR 4000 FT. THE MINIMUMS FOR THE ILS TO RWYS 7L AND 7R ARE = MILE AND RVR 1800; WITH CAT II (RVR 1200) AND CAT III (RVR 700; 600; AND N/A) AVAILABLE FOR THE ILS TO RWY 7R. DEPS WERE ASSIGNED RWYS 25L AND 25R. I QUERIED THE SUPVR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OP AS TO WHY WE WERE USING THE RWY 14 ILS WITH WINDS LESS THAN 10 KTS FROM THE SSW WITH THE WX AT MINIMUMS; BUT RECEIVED NO EXPLANATION EXCEPT THAT THE TMU DECIDED ON THE CONFIGN. THE VISIBILITY DROPPED TO = MILE SHORTLY THEREAFTER WITH THE RVR REMAINING AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT. 1 OF THE 2 TMU SPECIALISTS HAPPENED TO BE STANDING NEAR MY CTL POS SO I ASKED HIM WHY WE WEREN'T CHANGING TO LNDG RWYS 7L AND/OR 7R WHILE THE ARR AND DEP TFC WAS STILL LIGHT. HE RESPONDED THAT THE WIND HAD BEEN HIGHER; THE PLTS HAD BEEN REQUESTING RWYS 25L AND 25R FOR DEPS; AND THE RVR HAD BEEN REMAINING AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT. THE RWY CONFIGN REMAINED UNCHANGED. BEFORE LONG; THE RVR DROPPED BELOW 4000 FT; BUT SEVERAL ARRS WERE IN A11 AIRSPACE ON VECTORS FOR THE RWY 14 ILS AND NUMEROUS DEPS HAD TAXIED TO RWYS 25L AND/OR 25R. THE ARRS WERE VECTORED TO THE ILS FOR RWY 7R AND THE DEPS WERE REDIRECTED TO RWY 14; BUT HAD TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL ICING PRIOR TO DEP. THESE ARE THE ACFT THAT SUSTAINED THE 45+ MIN DELAYS. THE A11 TMU SPECIALISTS HAVE DISPLAYED A HABIT DURING PERIODS OF HVY TFC DENSITY OF ASSIGNING ARRIVING TFC ALTERNATE ARR GATES AND CROSSOVER PATTERN ENTRIES; IE; TO A L DOWNWIND INSTEAD OF A R DOWNWIND; AS OPPOSED TO INSTRUCTING THE ARTCC TO PLACE THEM IN HOLDING PATTERNS AT ALTS AND SPDS THAT PREVENT EXCESSIVE USE OF FUEL. THESE ARRS ARE ASSIGNED RANDOM VECTORS THAT DIRECT THEM TOWARD AREAS OF HIGHER TERRAIN WITHOUT VERT SEPARATION AND ABOVE DEP CORRIDORS WITH DEPARTING TFC RESTR BELOW THEM; BUT NEEDING TO CLB. THESE ARRS SOMETIMES FLY MORE THAN 60 ADDITIONAL MI IN A11 AIRSPACE ON RANDOM VECTORS AND AT SPDS AS LOW AS 170 KTS. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT MORE THAN LESS THAN OF A11 AIRSPACE IS UNUSABLE AT LOW ALTS BECAUSE OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; THE CONFLICTS BTWN ARRS AND OTHER ARRS AS WELL AS DEPS BECOME MORE SERIOUS. THE LIKELIHOOD OF OPERRORS; OPDEVS; OR NMACS UNNECESSARILY INCREASES. THE GENERAL BENEFIT OF THE A11 TMU IS MINIMAL; SOMETIMES CAUSING MORE COMPLEXITY THAN IS RELIEVED.

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.