Narrative:

On 12/91, I observed aircraft during the ARTS automated handoff, routed to the wrong sector. This has been an on-going problem since the installation of the ARTS A3.04.1 program. The problem started to occur about 1/91. We have tried to correct the problem in-house however, management continues to tell us that: 1. The problem is at the cleveland en route ATC center. Until the automation specialists at the center can find the time to work with us to correct the problem, there is nothing we can do. 2. The problem is with our software and after we install a local patch in our program, the problem will be corrected. 3. It's hard to find the problem because it deals with automation. Around 10/91, 2 of my fellow controllers were almost involved in a system deviation because of the problem. Attached with this form is a copy of the cleveland hopkins awareness bulletin that was put out by management to warn the controllers that this could happen to me and that I should pay extra attention while on position. As you can read, they obtained a machine to help correct the situation, but that was over 2 months ago and we still have no solution to our problem. Our automation specialist is in charge of other airports in the vicinity of cleveland and we feel is too buried with other projects and can't find enough time to correct our problem here at cleveland. We request that the great lakes region or washington headquarters send 2-3 automation specialists for a 90 day detail so to correct all of our automation problems. This will also give our automation specialist the time he needs to catch up with all of his other projects. Supplemental information from acn 196451. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter claims they still have a problem with mis-directed handoffs. New ARTS program has been in for about 10-12 months. Some improvement, but not much. Thinks that af is slow in working on problem. Handoffs go to different positions, not to just one position. ZOB still makes automated handoffs and problem is taken care of in TRACON. This is an intermittent problem. It might happen 4 or 5 times during an inbound rush. No operational error yet, only one incident with a runaway aircraft going through the airspace without controller knowledge. Facility has an ASR-9 system that seems to be working ok. Reporter not aware if ro knows about problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTS COMPUTER PROGRAM REROUTING ACFT DURING AUTOMATIC HDOF TO WRONG POS OF OP.

Narrative: ON 12/91, I OBSERVED ACFT DURING THE ARTS AUTOMATED HDOF, ROUTED TO THE WRONG SECTOR. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THE ARTS A3.04.1 PROGRAM. THE PROBLEM STARTED TO OCCUR ABOUT 1/91. WE HAVE TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN-HOUSE HOWEVER, MGMNT CONTINUES TO TELL US THAT: 1. THE PROBLEM IS AT THE CLEVELAND ENRTE ATC CTR. UNTIL THE AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS AT THE CTR CAN FIND THE TIME TO WORK WITH US TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO. 2. THE PROBLEM IS WITH OUR SOFTWARE AND AFTER WE INSTALL A LCL PATCH IN OUR PROGRAM, THE PROBLEM WILL BE CORRECTED. 3. IT'S HARD TO FIND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH AUTOMATION. AROUND 10/91, 2 OF MY FELLOW CTLRS WERE ALMOST INVOLVED IN A SYS DEV BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ATTACHED WITH THIS FORM IS A COPY OF THE CLEVELAND HOPKINS AWARENESS BULLETIN THAT WAS PUT OUT BY MGMNT TO WARN THE CTLRS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ME AND THAT I SHOULD PAY EXTRA ATTN WHILE ON POS. AS YOU CAN READ, THEY OBTAINED A MACHINE TO HELP CORRECT THE SITUATION, BUT THAT WAS OVER 2 MONTHS AGO AND WE STILL HAVE NO SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM. OUR AUTOMATION SPECIALIST IS IN CHARGE OF OTHER ARPTS IN THE VICINITY OF CLEVELAND AND WE FEEL IS TOO BURIED WITH OTHER PROJECTS AND CAN'T FIND ENOUGH TIME TO CORRECT OUR PROBLEM HERE AT CLEVELAND. WE REQUEST THAT THE GREAT LAKES REGION OR WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SEND 2-3 AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS FOR A 90 DAY DETAIL SO TO CORRECT ALL OF OUR AUTOMATION PROBLEMS. THIS WILL ALSO GIVE OUR AUTOMATION SPECIALIST THE TIME HE NEEDS TO CATCH UP WITH ALL OF HIS OTHER PROJECTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 196451. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR CLAIMS THEY STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MIS-DIRECTED HDOFS. NEW ARTS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN FOR ABOUT 10-12 MONTHS. SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT NOT MUCH. THINKS THAT AF IS SLOW IN WORKING ON PROBLEM. HDOFS GO TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS, NOT TO JUST ONE POS. ZOB STILL MAKES AUTOMATED HDOFS AND PROBLEM IS TAKEN CARE OF IN TRACON. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. IT MIGHT HAPPEN 4 OR 5 TIMES DURING AN INBOUND RUSH. NO OPERROR YET, ONLY ONE INCIDENT WITH A RUNAWAY ACFT GOING THROUGH THE AIRSPACE WITHOUT CTLR KNOWLEDGE. FACILITY HAS AN ASR-9 SYS THAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK. RPTR NOT AWARE IF RO KNOWS ABOUT PROBLEM.

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.