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Airways facilities technicians at ZOA prematurely removed radar sector 42 for maintenance before moved the traffic to radar sector 41.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 588664 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zoa.artcc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 3 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 7 |
| ASRS Report | 588664 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : sector 41 & 42 other controllera other controllerb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zoa.artcc |
Narrative:
Sector 42 is the normal 'mid' configured sector for the area. Airways facilities (af) advised the satcs that the R42 display would be needed for maintenance. Satcs may not have communicated clearly with af as to approval for the requested action. The controller working R42/D42 was advised that operations would be moving to right/D41. A controller was asked by the satcs to open sector 41 and set up to receive sector 42 traffic. The sector 41 controller had just sat down to begin reconfiguration when the R42 display showed a red 'X' and all data 'froze.' there were 4 IFR and 1 VFR aircraft in the sector at the time. The R41 controller scrambled to begin working the traffic without a briefing or properly configured land lines. 15 mins later, at XA26 local, the vscs land lines were properly configured. Some 15-20 mins later, the frequencys were properly placed. Aside from the error by the satcs or af or both (the closing sector 42 during live traffic) the satcs had insufficient training to accomplish the relatively simple tasks of reconfiguring the land lines and frequencys. The controllers worked quickly to maintain safety and positive control of involved aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS AT ZOA PREMATURELY REMOVED RADAR SECTOR 42 FOR MAINT BEFORE MOVED THE TFC TO RADAR SECTOR 41.
Narrative: SECTOR 42 IS THE NORMAL 'MID' CONFIGURED SECTOR FOR THE AREA. AIRWAYS FACILITIES (AF) ADVISED THE SATCS THAT THE R42 DISPLAY WOULD BE NEEDED FOR MAINT. SATCS MAY NOT HAVE COMMUNICATED CLRLY WITH AF AS TO APPROVAL FOR THE REQUESTED ACTION. THE CTLR WORKING R42/D42 WAS ADVISED THAT OPS WOULD BE MOVING TO R/D41. A CTLR WAS ASKED BY THE SATCS TO OPEN SECTOR 41 AND SET UP TO RECEIVE SECTOR 42 TFC. THE SECTOR 41 CTLR HAD JUST SAT DOWN TO BEGIN RECONFIGURATION WHEN THE R42 DISPLAY SHOWED A RED 'X' AND ALL DATA 'FROZE.' THERE WERE 4 IFR AND 1 VFR ACFT IN THE SECTOR AT THE TIME. THE R41 CTLR SCRAMBLED TO BEGIN WORKING THE TFC WITHOUT A BRIEFING OR PROPERLY CONFIGURED LAND LINES. 15 MINS LATER, AT XA26 LCL, THE VSCS LAND LINES WERE PROPERLY CONFIGURED. SOME 15-20 MINS LATER, THE FREQS WERE PROPERLY PLACED. ASIDE FROM THE ERROR BY THE SATCS OR AF OR BOTH (THE CLOSING SECTOR 42 DURING LIVE TFC) THE SATCS HAD INSUFFICIENT TRAINING TO ACCOMPLISH THE RELATIVELY SIMPLE TASKS OF RECONFIGURING THE LAND LINES AND FREQS. THE CTLRS WORKED QUICKLY TO MAINTAIN SAFETY AND POSITIVE CTL OF INVOLVED ACFT.
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.