Several aircraft cleared through active MOA area. Operational deviation.

Attributes
ACN	98169
Time
Date	198811
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pub
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	98169
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Intra Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I assumed the position of 41 radar and data controller. My briefing consisted of advising me that the la veta and chama north and south MOA's and atacc's were hot. Data blocks were started indicating that the areas were hot. The area is coordinated on a real time basis, meaning until coordinated through supervisors, the area is cold. I was briefed by a radar trnee on his last radar sector, with the OJT instrument sitting behind the radar trnee by about 4'. The radar trnee and his instrument took a break 3-4 mins later the adjacent low altitude sector controller called sector 41 with a departure off of alamosa wanting to know how to get the aircraft off with all the MOA's and atacc's hot. 5 mins later a corp jet departed cos and I had a conversation with the pilot explaining what I had to do in order to avoid the MOA's and atacc's. I took the handoff on military flight X (2 fgt's) at approximately XA40. At approximately XA45 I cleared X flight into the la veta MOA's and chama north and south atacc's. After X flight reported established within the areas I terminated their radar service and advised changing to tactical frequency was approved. At approximately XB00 the 41 radar trnee and his instrument returned to train again. At this time I briefed both that 'all the areas are still hot. I cleared 2 fgt's into the la veta/chama areas,' and other information not related to this problem. 10 mins later I received a call from the area supervisor asking if I cleared an aircraft into the la veta/chama areas. I said, 'yes, military X flight--2 fgt's.' after I returned the sector above sector 41, sector 29 found out about the areas being cold now. The problem was sector 29 was not protecting for the la veta/chama area's in the first place. 8 aircraft or so penetrated the airspace from FL240-FL290 during the time that X flight was in the area. No aircraft saw each other. The problem was the briefing I received was inadequate and misleading to the point that this situation occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEVERAL ACFT CLRED THROUGH ACTIVE MOA AREA. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I ASSUMED THE POS OF 41 RADAR AND DATA CTLR. MY BRIEFING CONSISTED OF ADVISING ME THAT THE LA VETA AND CHAMA N AND S MOA'S AND ATACC'S WERE HOT. DATA BLOCKS WERE STARTED INDICATING THAT THE AREAS WERE HOT. THE AREA IS COORDINATED ON A REAL TIME BASIS, MEANING UNTIL COORDINATED THROUGH SUPVRS, THE AREA IS COLD. I WAS BRIEFED BY A RADAR TRNEE ON HIS LAST RADAR SECTOR, WITH THE OJT INSTR SITTING BEHIND THE RADAR TRNEE BY ABOUT 4'. THE RADAR TRNEE AND HIS INSTR TOOK A BREAK 3-4 MINS LATER THE ADJACENT LOW ALT SECTOR CTLR CALLED SECTOR 41 WITH A DEP OFF OF ALAMOSA WANTING TO KNOW HOW TO GET THE ACFT OFF WITH ALL THE MOA'S AND ATACC'S HOT. 5 MINS LATER A CORP JET DEPARTED COS AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PLT EXPLAINING WHAT I HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO AVOID THE MOA'S AND ATACC'S. I TOOK THE HDOF ON MIL FLT X (2 FGT'S) AT APPROX XA40. AT APPROX XA45 I CLRED X FLT INTO THE LA VETA MOA'S AND CHAMA N AND S ATACC'S. AFTER X FLT RPTED ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE AREAS I TERMINATED THEIR RADAR SVC AND ADVISED CHANGING TO TACTICAL FREQ WAS APPROVED. AT APPROX XB00 THE 41 RADAR TRNEE AND HIS INSTR RETURNED TO TRAIN AGAIN. AT THIS TIME I BRIEFED BOTH THAT 'ALL THE AREAS ARE STILL HOT. I CLRED 2 FGT'S INTO THE LA VETA/CHAMA AREAS,' AND OTHER INFO NOT RELATED TO THIS PROB. 10 MINS LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE AREA SUPVR ASKING IF I CLRED AN ACFT INTO THE LA VETA/CHAMA AREAS. I SAID, 'YES, MIL X FLT--2 FGT'S.' AFTER I RETURNED THE SECTOR ABOVE SECTOR 41, SECTOR 29 FOUND OUT ABOUT THE AREAS BEING COLD NOW. THE PROB WAS SECTOR 29 WAS NOT PROTECTING FOR THE LA VETA/CHAMA AREA'S IN THE FIRST PLACE. 8 ACFT OR SO PENETRATED THE AIRSPACE FROM FL240-FL290 DURING THE TIME THAT X FLT WAS IN THE AREA. NO ACFT SAW EACH OTHER. THE PROB WAS THE BRIEFING I RECEIVED WAS INADEQUATE AND MISLEADING TO THE POINT THAT THIS SITUATION OCCURRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.