Anc controller described event when supervisors elected not to change arrival/departure gates to acc...

Attributes
ACN	794348
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : a11.tracon
State Reference	AK
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 19
ASRS Report	794348
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Runway 14/32 closed around or prior to XA00 and the operation changed to straight in runway 7L/7R; but the ellam and yeska gates were not swapped (arrs in ellam/departure out yeska for runway 14 arrival operations; arrs in yeska/departures out ellam for runway 7R/left arrival operations). Runway 14/32 did not reopen until XB45. The refusal to swap the ellam and yeska gates caused an additional workload for all controllers and confusion for anc controllers with respect to SID and frequency assignments (a normal problem anyway; but it was exacerbated by this situation). No A11 controllers or pilots benefited from management's refusal to swap the gates; in fact; their decision caused a greater workload because of increased complexity and crossover traffic for the A11 controllers. Zan controllers benefited slightly from avoiding simple gate changes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ANC CTLR DESCRIBED EVENT WHEN SUPVRS ELECTED NOT TO CHANGE ARR/DEP GATES TO ACCOMMODATE RWY CLOSURE; INCREASING WORKLOAD/COMPLEXITY.

Narrative: RWY 14/32 CLOSED AROUND OR PRIOR TO XA00 AND THE OP CHANGED TO STRAIGHT IN RWY 7L/7R; BUT THE ELLAM AND YESKA GATES WERE NOT SWAPPED (ARRS IN ELLAM/DEP OUT YESKA FOR RWY 14 ARR OPS; ARRS IN YESKA/DEPS OUT ELLAM FOR RWY 7R/L ARR OPS). RWY 14/32 DID NOT REOPEN UNTIL XB45. THE REFUSAL TO SWAP THE ELLAM AND YESKA GATES CAUSED AN ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD FOR ALL CTLRS AND CONFUSION FOR ANC CTLRS WITH RESPECT TO SID AND FREQ ASSIGNMENTS (A NORMAL PROB ANYWAY; BUT IT WAS EXACERBATED BY THIS SITUATION). NO A11 CTLRS OR PLTS BENEFITED FROM MGMNT'S REFUSAL TO SWAP THE GATES; IN FACT; THEIR DECISION CAUSED A GREATER WORKLOAD BECAUSE OF INCREASED COMPLEXITY AND CROSSOVER TFC FOR THE A11 CTLRS. ZAN CTLRS BENEFITED SLIGHTLY FROM AVOIDING SIMPLE GATE CHANGES.

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.

Anc controller described event when supervisors elected not to change arrival/departure gates to accommodate runway closure; increasing workload/complexity.