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ARTCC radar controller complains that sectors are constantly overloaded and receives no help from management and flow control.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 444361 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199907 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mmj.vortac |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : handoff position |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 444361 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance FAA ATC Facility |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zob.artcc staffing : zob.artcc |
Narrative:
An operational error (airspace violation) occurred when a combined sector that was overloaded and was conducting training became unmanageable. Sector was split too late and while the controllers were trying to recover, the violation occurred. I had been paged back from break and had to assume the associate radar position with no briefing. Sector overload and unrpted airspace violations are a daily occurrence at area 6 at ZOB and to a slightly lesser degree in all of ZOB. Management and support staff (flow control) know of the problem but do very little to help. Often they increase the problem by their actions. Flow control consistently approves WX routing adding aircraft to overloaded sectors. Management adds to the problem by not staffing areas with enough controllers and by not splitting sectors when they are overloaded. Neither will rerte traffic for a sector being impacted by WX or in-trail restrs. Sector becomes closed off and the controller must go into an emergency hold and shut off surrounding sectors. Only then will management work on alternate routing. 4 of 6 sectors in area 6 regularly hold with no advanced notice with deviating aircraft during peak traffic periods in airspace without suitable published holding patterns. I estimate at least 1000 unrpted airspace violations per yr at ZOB.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINS THAT SECTORS ARE CONSTANTLY OVERLOADED AND RECEIVES NO HELP FROM MGMNT AND FLOW CTL.
Narrative: AN OPERROR (AIRSPACE VIOLATION) OCCURRED WHEN A COMBINED SECTOR THAT WAS OVERLOADED AND WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING BECAME UNMANAGEABLE. SECTOR WAS SPLIT TOO LATE AND WHILE THE CTLRS WERE TRYING TO RECOVER, THE VIOLATION OCCURRED. I HAD BEEN PAGED BACK FROM BREAK AND HAD TO ASSUME THE ASSOCIATE RADAR POS WITH NO BRIEFING. SECTOR OVERLOAD AND UNRPTED AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS ARE A DAILY OCCURRENCE AT AREA 6 AT ZOB AND TO A SLIGHTLY LESSER DEG IN ALL OF ZOB. MGMNT AND SUPPORT STAFF (FLOW CTL) KNOW OF THE PROB BUT DO VERY LITTLE TO HELP. OFTEN THEY INCREASE THE PROB BY THEIR ACTIONS. FLOW CTL CONSISTENTLY APPROVES WX ROUTING ADDING ACFT TO OVERLOADED SECTORS. MGMNT ADDS TO THE PROB BY NOT STAFFING AREAS WITH ENOUGH CTLRS AND BY NOT SPLITTING SECTORS WHEN THEY ARE OVERLOADED. NEITHER WILL RERTE TFC FOR A SECTOR BEING IMPACTED BY WX OR IN-TRAIL RESTRS. SECTOR BECOMES CLOSED OFF AND THE CTLR MUST GO INTO AN EMER HOLD AND SHUT OFF SURROUNDING SECTORS. ONLY THEN WILL MGMNT WORK ON ALTERNATE ROUTING. 4 OF 6 SECTORS IN AREA 6 REGULARLY HOLD WITH NO ADVANCED NOTICE WITH DEVIATING ACFT DURING PEAK TFC PERIODS IN AIRSPACE WITHOUT SUITABLE PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERNS. I ESTIMATE AT LEAST 1000 UNRPTED AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS PER YR AT ZOB.
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.