Tmu supervisor turned off pdar's for ord.

Attributes
ACN	165930
Time
Date	199012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iiu
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mfr
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 21
ASRS Report	165930
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The pdar's to ord were turned off by request of the am (area manager) of the tmu. The reason being that clearance delivery in the towers did not want to get flight plan readouts to ord and issue full route clrncs. The abb lo sector (R18) was saturated with traffic. Departing traffic from cbg was held on the ground but sdf was not. An light transport departed sdf to ord and had to be issued a preferential routing to ord. This routing is lengthy and involved. The time it took to issued the clearance and obtain the readback created an unsafe situation on an already saturated frequency. In my opinion the pdars should not be turned off or if the pdar's are off, the tmu should issue the correct rtings to towers when the tmu I called for a release on the aircraft. The time to issue lengthy and complex clrncs is on the ground when the pilot is ready to copy and can make preflight routing plans, not in the air on a saturated frequency. The tmu at ZID does little to lessen workload or prevent saturation of sectors. The aforementioned problem is an everyday and continuing problem that definitely affects safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TMU SUPVR TURNED OFF PDAR'S FOR ORD.

Narrative: THE PDAR'S TO ORD WERE TURNED OFF BY REQUEST OF THE AM (AREA MGR) OF THE TMU. THE REASON BEING THAT CLRNC DELIVERY IN THE TWRS DID NOT WANT TO GET FLT PLAN READOUTS TO ORD AND ISSUE FULL RTE CLRNCS. THE ABB LO SECTOR (R18) WAS SATURATED WITH TFC. DEPARTING TFC FROM CBG WAS HELD ON THE GND BUT SDF WAS NOT. AN LTT DEPARTED SDF TO ORD AND HAD TO BE ISSUED A PREFERENTIAL RTING TO ORD. THIS RTING IS LENGTHY AND INVOLVED. THE TIME IT TOOK TO ISSUED THE CLRNC AND OBTAIN THE READBACK CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION ON AN ALREADY SATURATED FREQ. IN MY OPINION THE PDARS SHOULD NOT BE TURNED OFF OR IF THE PDAR'S ARE OFF, THE TMU SHOULD ISSUE THE CORRECT RTINGS TO TWRS WHEN THE TMU I CALLED FOR A RELEASE ON THE ACFT. THE TIME TO ISSUE LENGTHY AND COMPLEX CLRNCS IS ON THE GND WHEN THE PLT IS READY TO COPY AND CAN MAKE PREFLT RTING PLANS, NOT IN THE AIR ON A SATURATED FREQ. THE TMU AT ZID DOES LITTLE TO LESSEN WORKLOAD OR PREVENT SATURATION OF SECTORS. THE AFOREMENTIONED PROB IS AN EVERYDAY AND CONTINUING PROB THAT DEFINITELY AFFECTS SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.