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B752 flight crew challenge ZDV controller's control actions and responses to inquiries about intent and application of the nrp program.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 515811 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : gld.vortac |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 39000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 515811 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance FAA ATC Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
The nrp program -- what is its purpose? To provide 'priority' routing and 'priority' handling to nrp participating and filed aircraft. However, with increasing regularity, ATC disregards the nrp program and its participants. We were en route from clt to sea at FL390 when the ZDV controller working the gld area traffic vectored us 30 degrees off course and 30 mi out of our way for non nrp participating traffic. When the controller asked why I was inquiring about our handling under our nrp designation, he asked me what my and my company's interpretation of the nrp was. I indicated what the ZJX supervisor (ATC) who was on my jump seat, just the day before, had indicated to me, which was that nrp traffic was 'not' generally vectored for non nrp traffic, except for special circumstances, such as swap program WX avoidance, etc. He told me flat out that I 'was wrong!' ok, so I did not argue. He called my airline, ATC desk, to set me straight. (I'm not sure who else he called.) he then attempted to clear us to a fix well ahead of our desired route, so I politely asked to be returned to our nrp routing at the earliest opportunity (due to WX). Summary: if nrp is not to prioritize nrp traffic from non nrp traffic, then what good is it? What useful purpose does it really serve?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B752 FLC CHALLENGE ZDV CTLR'S CTL ACTIONS AND RESPONSES TO INQUIRIES ABOUT INTENT AND APPLICATION OF THE NRP PROGRAM.
Narrative: THE NRP PROGRAM -- WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE? TO PROVIDE 'PRIORITY' ROUTING AND 'PRIORITY' HANDLING TO NRP PARTICIPATING AND FILED ACFT. HOWEVER, WITH INCREASING REGULARITY, ATC DISREGARDS THE NRP PROGRAM AND ITS PARTICIPANTS. WE WERE ENRTE FROM CLT TO SEA AT FL390 WHEN THE ZDV CTLR WORKING THE GLD AREA TFC VECTORED US 30 DEGS OFF COURSE AND 30 MI OUT OF OUR WAY FOR NON NRP PARTICIPATING TFC. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED WHY I WAS INQUIRING ABOUT OUR HANDLING UNDER OUR NRP DESIGNATION, HE ASKED ME WHAT MY AND MY COMPANY'S INTERP OF THE NRP WAS. I INDICATED WHAT THE ZJX SUPVR (ATC) WHO WAS ON MY JUMP SEAT, JUST THE DAY BEFORE, HAD INDICATED TO ME, WHICH WAS THAT NRP TFC WAS 'NOT' GENERALLY VECTORED FOR NON NRP TFC, EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, SUCH AS SWAP PROGRAM WX AVOIDANCE, ETC. HE TOLD ME FLAT OUT THAT I 'WAS WRONG!' OK, SO I DID NOT ARGUE. HE CALLED MY AIRLINE, ATC DESK, TO SET ME STRAIGHT. (I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE HE CALLED.) HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO CLR US TO A FIX WELL AHEAD OF OUR DESIRED RTE, SO I POLITELY ASKED TO BE RETURNED TO OUR NRP ROUTING AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY (DUE TO WX). SUMMARY: IF NRP IS NOT TO PRIORITIZE NRP TFC FROM NON NRP TFC, THEN WHAT GOOD IS IT? WHAT USEFUL PURPOSE DOES IT REALLY SERVE?
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.