Narrative:

I received a flight plan with abnormal routing from ZMA. I fixed the routing that was affecting my airspace. ZMA put back the original routing that had a lot of latitude/longs and not the preferred airways that ZNY requires. I called ZMA and asked if there was any WX north of san juan that I should be aware of. ZMA controller said no, the aircraft wanted to fly that route of flight. I said ok, let me call ZNY and see if it's ok. I called ZNY and asked for approval and the controller said it's approved. There's a missile launch in 30 mins that affect A300, A523 and A623. The controller asked if I was aware of the re-routes. I said no. I asked my supervisor about the missile launch and if he had any information on any re-routes. He told me the airline know all about it and walked away. I couldn't believe it, he just walked away. At this time we started to get our departure rush and our evening northbound push from mdpp (puerto plata.) I also found out from ZNY that all aircraft departure through our airspace nebnd via latitude/longs couldn't go that way and had to be re-routed. I got the attention of another supervisor and asked again about any information about the re- routes. He came over about 10 minutes later with a package containing all of the re-routes. This package was on the supervisors desk the whole time. Something this serious usually gets posted at least 2 to 4 hours in advance, not while there is 3 to 5 aircraft airborne needing the re-routes and more aircraft coming. I was lucky enough to catch this because I was curious and wanted to know why the first aircraft wanted to fly the latitude/long routing. The workload and over stressed controllers could have been prevented if the supervisors posted the needed material in sufficient time. This sort of thing happens a lot down here. The carefree attitude of these supervisors are going to cause a situation to happen if things don't change. Supplemental information from acn 400395: I was working the D4 position. I started receiving strips on the fdio of 3 different aircraft that were participating in some kind of military mission that we had no information about it. It was some aerial refueling. When I asked the supervisor, I was informed that they did not know anything. I asked the area manager, and later a folder with all the information of the mission was provided. Somehow, the information was withheld from the controllers. This incident could have caused excessive work for the controllers and a possible conflict. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: zzu facility specialist advised of an interfacility process for the obtainment, technical documentation and dissemination for all military government tactical missions. An operational controller package for each affected control position is submitted to the shift supervisor for dissemination at the appropriate time. Dissemination is usually 2 to 4 hours, pending complexity, prior to each activity for controller review.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INITIATIVE FROM 2 ARTCC CTLRS RESOLVE COORD ISSUES DUE TO NONDISSEMINATED INTRAFAC SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE (SUA) MISSIONS. ONE ISSUE REQUIRED SUBSTANTIAL AIRBORNE REROUTES, OTHERS INVOLVED RELEASES NOTAMED AIRSPACE FOR MISSILE LAUNCH. COORD REQUIRED WITH ADJOINING ARTCC'S.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A FLT PLAN WITH ABNORMAL ROUTING FROM ZMA. I FIXED THE ROUTING THAT WAS AFFECTING MY AIRSPACE. ZMA PUT BACK THE ORIGINAL ROUTING THAT HAD A LOT OF LAT/LONGS AND NOT THE PREFERRED AIRWAYS THAT ZNY REQUIRES. I CALLED ZMA AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY WX N OF SAN JUAN THAT I SHOULD BE AWARE OF. ZMA CONTROLLER SAID NO, THE ACFT WANTED TO FLY THAT ROUTE OF FLT. I SAID OK, LET ME CALL ZNY AND SEE IF IT'S OK. I CALLED ZNY AND ASKED FOR APPROVAL AND THE CTLR SAID IT'S APPROVED. THERE'S A MISSILE LAUNCH IN 30 MINS THAT AFFECT A300, A523 AND A623. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WAS AWARE OF THE RE-ROUTES. I SAID NO. I ASKED MY SUPERVISOR ABOUT THE MISSILE LAUNCH AND IF HE HAD ANY INFO ON ANY RE-ROUTES. HE TOLD ME THE AIRLINE KNOW ALL ABOUT IT AND WALKED AWAY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, HE JUST WALKED AWAY. AT THIS TIME WE STARTED TO GET OUR DEP RUSH AND OUR EVENING NBND PUSH FROM MDPP (PUERTO PLATA.) I ALSO FOUND OUT FROM ZNY THAT ALL ACFT DEP THROUGH OUR AIRSPACE NEBND VIA LAT/LONGS COULDN'T GO THAT WAY AND HAD TO BE RE-ROUTED. I GOT THE ATTENTION OF ANOTHER SUPERVISOR AND ASKED AGAIN ABOUT ANY INFO ABOUT THE RE- ROUTES. HE CAME OVER ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER WITH A PACKAGE CONTAINING ALL OF THE RE-ROUTES. THIS PACKAGE WAS ON THE SUPERVISORS DESK THE WHOLE TIME. SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS USUALLY GETS POSTED AT LEAST 2 TO 4 HOURS IN ADVANCE, NOT WHILE THERE IS 3 TO 5 ACFT AIRBORNE NEEDING THE RE-ROUTES AND MORE ACFT COMING. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH THIS BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY THE FIRST ACFT WANTED TO FLY THE LAT/LONG ROUTING. THE WORKLOAD AND OVER STRESSED CONTROLLERS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE SUPERVISORS POSTED THE NEEDED MATERIAL IN SUFFICIENT TIME. THIS SORT OF THING HAPPENS A LOT DOWN HERE. THE CAREFREE ATTITUDE OF THESE SUPERVISORS ARE GOING TO CAUSE A SITUATION TO HAPPEN IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 400395: I WAS WORKING THE D4 POSITION. I STARTED RECEIVING STRIPS ON THE FDIO OF 3 DIFFERENT ACFT THAT WERE PARTICIPATING IN SOME KIND OF MILITARY MISSION THAT WE HAD NO INFO ABOUT IT. IT WAS SOME AERIAL REFUELING. WHEN I ASKED THE SUPVR, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING. I ASKED THE AREA MANAGER, AND LATER A FOLDER WITH ALL THE INFO OF THE MISSION WAS PROVIDED. SOMEHOW, THE INFO WAS WITHHELD FROM THE CONTROLLERS. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED EXCESSIVE WORK FOR THE CONTROLLERS AND A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ZZU FACILITY SPECIALIST ADVISED OF AN INTERFAC PROCESS FOR THE OBTAINMENT, TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION FOR ALL MIL GOV TACTICAL MISSIONS. AN OPERATIONAL CTLR PACKAGE FOR EACH AFFECTED CTL POSITION IS SUBMITTED TO THE SHIFT SUPVR FOR DISSEMINATION AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. DISSEMINATION IS USUALLY 2 TO 4 HOURS, PENDING COMPLEXITY, PRIOR TO EACH ACTIVITY FOR CTLR REVIEW.

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.