Narrative:

At ZDC there are 2 sectors; hot spring and valley; that are normally combined; but according to our facility sops they are to be split into 2 sectors during lwb tower special event activity; with the hot spring sector having responsibility for the lwb approachs and departures. ZDC had a very busy lwb special event and did not follow the ZDC SOP to split out the hot spring sector because the frequency that is normally assigned to it was in use by shenandoah sector because their regular frequency was OTS. Only after I told the supervisor that I had a strong safety concern because the combined sector was working more planes than was safe; but also the mile range the sector was set at because it was 2 sectors was not optimal for running the number of approachs and departures that we had going into lwb did he come up with a way to split the sectors. They split hot spring sector out by itself and combined valley sector with south boston sector; this confign is not covered in any SOP and caused a lot of confusion with adjacent sector and ctrs. Prior to this event the hot spring sector frequency had been assigned to shenandoah sector for at least a month. ZDC had notice that this lwb special event was scheduled for at least 2 weeks prior to the event and summer is always a busy lwb season. In other words this should have been worked out well before the sector was working more traffic than was safe on a mile range that was also unsafe for the situation. This was caused because of lack of usable frequencys at ZDC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF AVAILABLE FREQS AND PLANNING REF POSITION COMBINATION OPS.

Narrative: AT ZDC THERE ARE 2 SECTORS; HOT SPRING AND VALLEY; THAT ARE NORMALLY COMBINED; BUT ACCORDING TO OUR FACILITY SOPS THEY ARE TO BE SPLIT INTO 2 SECTORS DURING LWB TWR SPECIAL EVENT ACTIVITY; WITH THE HOT SPRING SECTOR HAVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LWB APCHS AND DEPS. ZDC HAD A VERY BUSY LWB SPECIAL EVENT AND DID NOT FOLLOW THE ZDC SOP TO SPLIT OUT THE HOT SPRING SECTOR BECAUSE THE FREQ THAT IS NORMALLY ASSIGNED TO IT WAS IN USE BY SHENANDOAH SECTOR BECAUSE THEIR REGULAR FREQ WAS OTS. ONLY AFTER I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT I HAD A STRONG SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE COMBINED SECTOR WAS WORKING MORE PLANES THAN WAS SAFE; BUT ALSO THE MILE RANGE THE SECTOR WAS SET AT BECAUSE IT WAS 2 SECTORS WAS NOT OPTIMAL FOR RUNNING THE NUMBER OF APCHS AND DEPS THAT WE HAD GOING INTO LWB DID HE COME UP WITH A WAY TO SPLIT THE SECTORS. THEY SPLIT HOT SPRING SECTOR OUT BY ITSELF AND COMBINED VALLEY SECTOR WITH SOUTH BOSTON SECTOR; THIS CONFIGN IS NOT COVERED IN ANY SOP AND CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION WITH ADJACENT SECTOR AND CTRS. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THE HOT SPRING SECTOR FREQ HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO SHENANDOAH SECTOR FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. ZDC HAD NOTICE THAT THIS LWB SPECIAL EVENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR AT LEAST 2 WKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT AND SUMMER IS ALWAYS A BUSY LWB SEASON. IN OTHER WORDS THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT WELL BEFORE THE SECTOR WAS WORKING MORE TFC THAN WAS SAFE ON A MILE RANGE THAT WAS ALSO UNSAFE FOR THE SITUATION. THIS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE OF LACK OF USABLE FREQS AT ZDC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.