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Lou AFSS specialist described event when AFSS at sgt failed to acknowledge IFR movement message as required by FAA order.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 793342 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200806 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lou.fss |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Military |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar controller : military controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller military : 16 controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 16 controller supervisory : 27 controller time certified in position1 : 27.5 |
| ASRS Report | 793342 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Air carrier X departed godman army airfield at fort knox; ky (ftk) at XA00 on an IFR flight plan. I sent an IFR departure message to san angelo AFSS (this is the tie-in facility for destination). Their identify is sgt. After waiting a period of 1 hour and receiving no acknowledgement on the message; I contacted the fort worth hub supervisor (they are the contact for that area and are contractors). Their ICAO identify is ftw. I ask the supervisor if he had received the inbound message on aircraft X. He stated he had. At that time I requested he send me a roger (acknowledgement) message to my ais-right. He then made the following statement to me: 'if the aircraft is on an IFR flight plan and is going to a civilian airport we don't care about them and we will not acknowledge messages concerning them. We only care about IFR flts if they are going to a military airfield and that military airfield has no base operations or the aircraft will land at the airfield outside of their normal business hours. Also; we will acknowledge VFR flts.' based on my 27 yrs of experience in this field; I submit this is in direct violation of FAA order 7110.10 chapter 6 section 4 paragraph 4 sub paragraph G which states: 'address military stopover flight notification messages to and obtain acknowledgement from the destination tie-in AFSS/FSS or base operations serving all destinations.' note that the text makes no distinction if the flight is IFR or VFR nor does it make a distinction between a military or civilian airport. Furthermore; by regulation; the departure station is responsible for flight following and search and rescue on the aircraft until the destination AFSS or military base operations acknowledges receipt of the inbound aircraft. The regulation is written this way for a specific reason -- that being that the departure station has no way of knowing if the aircraft reached the destination. Therefore; if the aircraft were to crash; the departure station (which in this particular situation; would still be responsible for search and rescue) would have no way of knowing it!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LOU AFSS SPECIALIST DESCRIBED EVENT WHEN AFSS AT SGT FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IFR MOVEMENT MESSAGE AS REQUIRED BY FAA ORDER.
Narrative: ACR X DEPARTED GODMAN ARMY AIRFIELD AT FORT KNOX; KY (FTK) AT XA00 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I SENT AN IFR DEP MESSAGE TO SAN ANGELO AFSS (THIS IS THE TIE-IN FACILITY FOR DEST). THEIR IDENT IS SGT. AFTER WAITING A PERIOD OF 1 HR AND RECEIVING NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON THE MESSAGE; I CONTACTED THE FORT WORTH HUB SUPVR (THEY ARE THE CONTACT FOR THAT AREA AND ARE CONTRACTORS). THEIR ICAO IDENT IS FTW. I ASK THE SUPVR IF HE HAD RECEIVED THE INBOUND MESSAGE ON ACFT X. HE STATED HE HAD. AT THAT TIME I REQUESTED HE SEND ME A ROGER (ACKNOWLEDGEMENT) MESSAGE TO MY AIS-R. HE THEN MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO ME: 'IF THE ACFT IS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND IS GOING TO A CIVILIAN ARPT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM AND WE WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MESSAGES CONCERNING THEM. WE ONLY CARE ABOUT IFR FLTS IF THEY ARE GOING TO A MIL AIRFIELD AND THAT MIL AIRFIELD HAS NO BASE OPS OR THE ACFT WILL LAND AT THE AIRFIELD OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL BUSINESS HRS. ALSO; WE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE VFR FLTS.' BASED ON MY 27 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD; I SUBMIT THIS IS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF FAA ORDER 7110.10 CHAPTER 6 SECTION 4 PARAGRAPH 4 SUB PARAGRAPH G WHICH STATES: 'ADDRESS MIL STOPOVER FLT NOTIFICATION MESSAGES TO AND OBTAIN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE DEST TIE-IN AFSS/FSS OR BASE OPS SERVING ALL DESTS.' NOTE THAT THE TEXT MAKES NO DISTINCTION IF THE FLT IS IFR OR VFR NOR DOES IT MAKE A DISTINCTION BTWN A MIL OR CIVILIAN ARPT. FURTHERMORE; BY REG; THE DEP STATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND SEARCH AND RESCUE ON THE ACFT UNTIL THE DEST AFSS OR MIL BASE OPS ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THE INBOUND ACFT. THE REG IS WRITTEN THIS WAY FOR A SPECIFIC REASON -- THAT BEING THAT THE DEP STATION HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THE ACFT REACHED THE DEST. THEREFORE; IF THE ACFT WERE TO CRASH; THE DEP STATION (WHICH IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION; WOULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE) WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IT!
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.