<< >> NASA ASRS Report 210850, May 1992

Approach controller unable to contact center for coordination of aircraft deviating around WX due to temporary landline confusion.

Attributes
ACN	210850
Time
Date	199205
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : alo
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : alo
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 9 controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	210850
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Because of construction at ZAU, one of the sectors uses our primary approach control frequency at night. This frequency is remoted to ZAU via a landline. During this operation I had an light transport X who was deviating for WX. I was unable to pass this information on to the appropriate sector, because the frequency was on the landline. I finally had to call minneapolis center and ask them to call ZAU and have them give me a call on another line. After getting a hold of ZAU the controller there was unable to tell me the dial code for his sector. I then called an adjacent approach (cid) and asked them how he gets a hold of the dubuque sector at ZAU, he said he didn't know but that they didn't have much traffic going that way anyway. I would like to suggest that a better contingency plan be developed for this type of occurrence. A supervisor suggested that I start calling ZAU as early as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR UNABLE TO CONTACT CTR FOR COORD OF ACFT DEVIATING AROUND WX DUE TO TEMPORARY LANDLINE CONFUSION.

Narrative: BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION AT ZAU, ONE OF THE SECTORS USES OUR PRIMARY APCH CTL FREQ AT NIGHT. THIS FREQ IS REMOTED TO ZAU VIA A LANDLINE. DURING THIS OP I HAD AN LTT X WHO WAS DEVIATING FOR WX. I WAS UNABLE TO PASS THIS INFO ON TO THE APPROPRIATE SECTOR, BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS ON THE LANDLINE. I FINALLY HAD TO CALL MINNEAPOLIS CTR AND ASK THEM TO CALL ZAU AND HAVE THEM GIVE ME A CALL ON ANOTHER LINE. AFTER GETTING A HOLD OF ZAU THE CTLR THERE WAS UNABLE TO TELL ME THE DIAL CODE FOR HIS SECTOR. I THEN CALLED AN ADJACENT APCH (CID) AND ASKED THEM HOW HE GETS A HOLD OF THE DUBUQUE SECTOR AT ZAU, HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW BUT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TFC GOING THAT WAY ANYWAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT A BETTER CONTINGENCY PLAN BE DEVELOPED FOR THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE. A SUPVR SUGGESTED THAT I START CALLING ZAU AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

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.