Narrative:

Current procedures at mco allow xatlantic traffic landing sfb to come through malet intersection independent of normal arrival traffic on bitho 7 arrival. Cof approach is supposed to cross mco/cof boundary at or below 5000 ft descend to 4000 ft. The situation described and diagramed on reverse occurred on feb/xx/97. My experience as an air traffic controller (10 yrs) pps (1 yr) and military pilot (7 yrs) tells me this is an unsafe procedure involving too many facilities/controllers/ aircraft, just to save 15 flying mi. Cof approach called mco dre to po B767 descending to 6000 ft. Cof offered to spin traffic but it was too late as B767 was only 3 NM from boundary. Traffic was exchanged and instructions issued to maintain approved separation. While separation was never lost, the potential for disaster in this situation was high. I don't know why B767 was at 9000 ft vice 5000 ft (possible late ho ZJX/cof?) either way, sfb arrs in this area involve crossing too many airways, facilities, and airspace designed for other purposes. This traffic needs to be sequenced over mlb or bairn intersection or sequenced over omn with other high performance sfb arrs. This incident does not even take into account how stn and arl controllers were affected (they were all involved). The potential for conflict is extremely high in this new procedure which I believe is based solely on expediency with no regard to safety.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OCEANIC ARR PROC REQUIRES XING BUSY AIRWAY AND IN SOME CASES MULTIPLE FACILITY COORD DUE TO THE ACFT'S ALT.

Narrative: CURRENT PROCS AT MCO ALLOW XATLANTIC TFC LNDG SFB TO COME THROUGH MALET INTXN INDEPENDENT OF NORMAL ARR TFC ON BITHO 7 ARR. COF APCH IS SUPPOSED TO CROSS MCO/COF BOUNDARY AT OR BELOW 5000 FT DSND TO 4000 FT. THE SIT DESCRIBED AND DIAGRAMED ON REVERSE OCCURRED ON FEB/XX/97. MY EXPERIENCE AS AN AIR TFC CTLR (10 YRS) PPS (1 YR) AND MIL PLT (7 YRS) TELLS ME THIS IS AN UNSAFE PROC INVOLVING TOO MANY FACILITIES/CTLRS/ ACFT, JUST TO SAVE 15 FLYING MI. COF APCH CALLED MCO DRE TO PO B767 DSNDING TO 6000 FT. COF OFFERED TO SPIN TFC BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AS B767 WAS ONLY 3 NM FROM BOUNDARY. TFC WAS EXCHANGED AND INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO MAINTAIN APPROVED SEPARATION. WHILE SEPARATION WAS NEVER LOST, THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN THIS SIT WAS HIGH. I DON'T KNOW WHY B767 WAS AT 9000 FT VICE 5000 FT (POSSIBLE LATE HO ZJX/COF?) EITHER WAY, SFB ARRS IN THIS AREA INVOLVE XING TOO MANY AIRWAYS, FACILITIES, AND AIRSPACE DESIGNED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. THIS TFC NEEDS TO BE SEQUENCED OVER MLB OR BAIRN INTXN OR SEQUENCED OVER OMN WITH OTHER HIGH PERFORMANCE SFB ARRS. THIS INCIDENT DOES NOT EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW STN AND ARL CTLRS WERE AFFECTED (THEY WERE ALL INVOLVED). THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT IS EXTREMELY HIGH IN THIS NEW PROC WHICH I BELIEVE IS BASED SOLELY ON EXPEDIENCY WITH NO REGARD TO 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.