ZME controller described a confused STAR transition routing event that caused an unexpected turn by ...

Narrative:

This same event occurred earlier this year. Approximately sixty days ago; I thought that I had resolved the problem with ATC personnel at the subject airline. The problem is a result of a STAR transition that is no longer required for traffic destination stl. ZME area 5 flight plan data indicates aircraft from atl destination stl are flying on the following route: atl..carpt..bna..cgi.QBALL6.stl. The bna to cgi portion is a heading from bna of 296. Many times the aircraft makes a turn at bna and heads west 277 to the visqua intersection on the bna transition of the qball arrival. The controller is certainly not expecting this event and due to the lag in the radar display; exacerbated in area 5 by the location of the qoj; nashville radar system; the turn causes panic due to the close boundaries of sectors 61; 62; 63; 33; and 26. Previously; airlines personnel indicated that the problem existed due to several factors; FMS; type of aircraft equipment; and flight crew knowledge of the route. The ZME controllers rely on accurate flight plan data contained in the host computer system. If a flight plan indicates one route and the aircraft follows something different; we can only expect that soon our luck will run out and major risk will prevail. Recommendation; the bna transition of the STAR should be eliminated. The routing should be bna..cgi.QBALL6.stl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME Controller described a confused STAR transition routing event that caused an unexpected turn by the flight crew; noting the subject transition should be eliminated.

Narrative: This same event occurred earlier this year. Approximately sixty days ago; I thought that I had resolved the problem with ATC personnel at the subject airline. The problem is a result of a STAR transition that is no longer required for traffic destination STL. ZME Area 5 flight plan data indicates aircraft from ATL destination STL are flying on the following route: ATL..CARPT..BNA..CGI.QBALL6.STL. The BNA to CGI portion is a heading from BNA of 296. Many times the aircraft makes a turn at BNA and heads west 277 to the VISQUA Intersection on the BNA transition of the QBALL arrival. The Controller is certainly not expecting this event and due to the lag in the RADAR display; exacerbated in Area 5 by the location of the QOJ; Nashville RADAR system; the turn causes panic due to the close boundaries of Sectors 61; 62; 63; 33; and 26. Previously; airlines personnel indicated that the problem existed due to several factors; FMS; type of aircraft equipment; and flight crew knowledge of the route. The ZME Controllers rely on accurate flight plan data contained in the HOST computer system. If a flight plan indicates one route and the aircraft follows something different; we can only expect that soon our luck will run out and major risk will prevail. Recommendation; the BNA transition of the STAR should be eliminated. The routing should be BNA..CGI.QBALL6.STL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	907326
Time
Date	201008
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZME.ARTCC
State Reference	TN
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Supervisor / CIC
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types

ZME controller described a confused STAR transition routing event that caused an unexpected turn by the flight crew; noting the subject transition should be eliminated.