Narrative:

I was working sectors 45/46/48 combined. The d-side and I rarely work together, by choice. Supervisor split sector 48 and sent d-side to another sector. Sector controller at sector 48 took all the flight progress strips with him to open sector 48. Baron departs hkv, runway heading, climbing 4000 ft I have no idea who he is. Sector 48 has the strip. A data block acquires on baron so I do a flight plan readout. Just the call sign. No flight plan data. 1) I have begged local management to standardize procedures including how to combine and split sectors, without results. 2) the SOP for hky departures is runway heading, climbing 4000 ft the MEA is 4500 ft 12 mi southwest of hky. Runway 24 is the main runway. The MEA right at hky is 3400 ft. 3) some controllers don't activate the flight plan until the aircraft actually departs. But they will start a track (from the d-side) with the call sign of the aircraft departing. In the ensuing confusion, I climbed baron to 5000 ft because of the 4500 ft MEA. I had another 5000 ft in conflict, so I had to turn both aircraft. No loss of separation, it wasn't even close, although I did set off the conflict alert. Just another comedy of errors that had the potential for an operational error. All because we refuse to address fundamental, known problems. I've included the flight plan strip. I picked it up 20 mins after this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING LACK OF FORMALIZED PROCS FOR DECOMBINING OPERATIONAL POS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING SECTORS 45/46/48 COMBINED. THE D-SIDE AND I RARELY WORK TOGETHER, BY CHOICE. SUPVR SPLIT SECTOR 48 AND SENT D-SIDE TO ANOTHER SECTOR. SECTOR CTLR AT SECTOR 48 TOOK ALL THE FLT PROGRESS STRIPS WITH HIM TO OPEN SECTOR 48. BARON DEPARTS HKV, RWY HDG, CLBING 4000 FT I HAVE NO IDEA WHO HE IS. SECTOR 48 HAS THE STRIP. A DATA BLOCK ACQUIRES ON BARON SO I DO A FLT PLAN READOUT. JUST THE CALL SIGN. NO FLT PLAN DATA. 1) I HAVE BEGGED LCL MGMNT TO STANDARDIZE PROCS INCLUDING HOW TO COMBINE AND SPLIT SECTORS, WITHOUT RESULTS. 2) THE SOP FOR HKY DEPS IS RWY HDG, CLBING 4000 FT THE MEA IS 4500 FT 12 MI SW OF HKY. RWY 24 IS THE MAIN RWY. THE MEA R AT HKY IS 3400 FT. 3) SOME CTLRS DON'T ACTIVATE THE FLT PLAN UNTIL THE ACFT ACTUALLY DEPARTS. BUT THEY WILL START A TRACK (FROM THE D-SIDE) WITH THE CALL SIGN OF THE ACFT DEPARTING. IN THE ENSUING CONFUSION, I CLBED BARON TO 5000 FT BECAUSE OF THE 4500 FT MEA. I HAD ANOTHER 5000 FT IN CONFLICT, SO I HAD TO TURN BOTH ACFT. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION, IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE, ALTHOUGH I DID SET OFF THE CONFLICT ALERT. JUST ANOTHER COMEDY OF ERRORS THAT HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR AN OPERROR. ALL BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL, KNOWN PROBS. I'VE INCLUDED THE FLT PLAN STRIP. I PICKED IT UP 20 MINS AFTER THIS INCIDENT.

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.