 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
P31 controller concerned with ndz, common use, single gca frequency 323.15, intermittent failure, and management's apparent inability to resolve the problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 535220 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ndz.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Jet Ranger/Kiowa/206 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : missed approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach controller : supervisor oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 8 controller radar : 20 controller supervisory : 4 controller time certified in position1 : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 535220 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Navigational Facility ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | communication equipment : p31.tracon |
Narrative:
I was working a military bell jet ranger helicopter that was conducting multiple instrument/radar approachs to south whiting NAS (ndz). After the aircraft returned from IFR training at crestview VORTAC (cew), I worked it to a surveillance radar approach final to runway 32 at ndz, on a single frequency approach. When the aircraft began it's crosswind climb out from the gca controller at ndz, I was unable to re-establish radio communications with it. The gca controller advised me the aircraft was calling me and I advised them if they could establish communications, to put the aircraft on my common VHF frequency. By the time I regained 2-WAY radio communication, a pointout to the adjacent sector was necessary, due to lateral limits of my airspace. The frequency in question, 323.15 has on numerous occasions over the last several months (I would say at least weekly) given controllers problems on the west side of the final to runway 32 at ndz. The receivers and transmitters are remoted at crestview, fl. To date, no fix action to my knowledge has occurred to rectify this problem and none is planned. The climb out altitude used (17000 ft MSL) is our common MVA in this area with high density military training. Management must become more proactive and either remove this frequency from service, or make all controllers more aware of the problems and limitations of this frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P31 CTLR CONCERNED WITH NDZ, COMMON USE, SINGLE GCA FREQ 323.15, INTERMITTENT FAILURE, AND MGMNT'S APPARENT INABILITY TO RESOLVE THE PROB.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING A MIL BELL JET RANGER HELI THAT WAS CONDUCTING MULTIPLE INST/RADAR APCHS TO SOUTH WHITING NAS (NDZ). AFTER THE ACFT RETURNED FROM IFR TRAINING AT CRESTVIEW VORTAC (CEW), I WORKED IT TO A SURVEILLANCE RADAR APCH FINAL TO RWY 32 AT NDZ, ON A SINGLE FREQ APCH. WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN IT'S XWIND CLBOUT FROM THE GCA CTLR AT NDZ, I WAS UNABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH RADIO COMS WITH IT. THE GCA CTLR ADVISED ME THE ACFT WAS CALLING ME AND I ADVISED THEM IF THEY COULD ESTABLISH COMS, TO PUT THE ACFT ON MY COMMON VHF FREQ. BY THE TIME I REGAINED 2-WAY RADIO COM, A POINTOUT TO THE ADJACENT SECTOR WAS NECESSARY, DUE TO LATERAL LIMITS OF MY AIRSPACE. THE FREQ IN QUESTION, 323.15 HAS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS (I WOULD SAY AT LEAST WKLY) GIVEN CTLRS PROBS ON THE W SIDE OF THE FINAL TO RWY 32 AT NDZ. THE RECEIVERS AND XMITTERS ARE REMOTED AT CRESTVIEW, FL. TO DATE, NO FIX ACTION TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAS OCCURRED TO RECTIFY THIS PROB AND NONE IS PLANNED. THE CLBOUT ALT USED (17000 FT MSL) IS OUR COMMON MVA IN THIS AREA WITH HIGH DENSITY MIL TRAINING. MGMNT MUST BECOME MORE PROACTIVE AND EITHER REMOVE THIS FREQ FROM SVC, OR MAKE ALL CTLRS MORE AWARE OF THE PROBS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS FREQ.
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.