Narrative:

During the annual special event; ags takes more airspace from ZTL and changes the procedures for aircraft entering their airspace. A80's links and mcn sectors have to change their procedures for this week and rerte all overflts around ags airspace. The links airspace was given to A80 from ZTL over 2 yrs ago. We have terminal controllers using en route radar and procedures without any WX radar depicted. Most of the traffic in the links airspace is GA which would benefit from the assistance around WX. During the week in question; we had several issues which made the operation more difficult. The links automation had problems where aircraft were not able to hand off and we had to verify the flight plans because the NAS computer didn't show the correct routing which the aircraft should have been given. This additional coordination added to the workload on a work force which is already overworked. The links airspace used a different sectorization in order to better accommodate the increase in traffic. Unfortunately; this was done in the middle of the week and the frequency coverage didn't work for the frequency which is used for the low sector. So the high and low sectors had to swap frequencys which led to several aircraft on the wrong frequency. Conclusions: 1) A80 should not have the links airspace until there is adequate radar coverage provided by terminal radar with WX depiction. Or they should only have the portion which is covered by the lzu radar. 2) the procedures and automation should be tested and correct prior to this annual special event in order to decrease workload and avoid errors. 3) add together the airspace confign; frequency problems; automation problems; and overworked and often junior workforce; then you have a compounded situation which leads to error during one of the highest volumes of traffic.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY'S SPECIAL EVENT PROCS; CLAIMING LIMITED RADAR COVERAGE; LACK OF WX INFO AND PROC/AUTOMATION ISSUES.

Narrative: DURING THE ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT; AGS TAKES MORE AIRSPACE FROM ZTL AND CHANGES THE PROCS FOR ACFT ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE. A80'S LINKS AND MCN SECTORS HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR PROCS FOR THIS WK AND RERTE ALL OVERFLTS AROUND AGS AIRSPACE. THE LINKS AIRSPACE WAS GIVEN TO A80 FROM ZTL OVER 2 YRS AGO. WE HAVE TERMINAL CTLRS USING ENRTE RADAR AND PROCS WITHOUT ANY WX RADAR DEPICTED. MOST OF THE TFC IN THE LINKS AIRSPACE IS GA WHICH WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE ASSISTANCE AROUND WX. DURING THE WK IN QUESTION; WE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WHICH MADE THE OP MORE DIFFICULT. THE LINKS AUTOMATION HAD PROBS WHERE ACFT WERE NOT ABLE TO HAND OFF AND WE HAD TO VERIFY THE FLT PLANS BECAUSE THE NAS COMPUTER DIDN'T SHOW THE CORRECT ROUTING WHICH THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN. THIS ADDITIONAL COORD ADDED TO THE WORKLOAD ON A WORK FORCE WHICH IS ALREADY OVERWORKED. THE LINKS AIRSPACE USED A DIFFERENT SECTORIZATION IN ORDER TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASE IN TFC. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS WAS DONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WK AND THE FREQ COVERAGE DIDN'T WORK FOR THE FREQ WHICH IS USED FOR THE LOW SECTOR. SO THE HIGH AND LOW SECTORS HAD TO SWAP FREQS WHICH LED TO SEVERAL ACFT ON THE WRONG FREQ. CONCLUSIONS: 1) A80 SHOULD NOT HAVE THE LINKS AIRSPACE UNTIL THERE IS ADEQUATE RADAR COVERAGE PROVIDED BY TERMINAL RADAR WITH WX DEPICTION. OR THEY SHOULD ONLY HAVE THE PORTION WHICH IS COVERED BY THE LZU RADAR. 2) THE PROCS AND AUTOMATION SHOULD BE TESTED AND CORRECT PRIOR TO THIS ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT IN ORDER TO DECREASE WORKLOAD AND AVOID ERRORS. 3) ADD TOGETHER THE AIRSPACE CONFIGN; FREQ PROBS; AUTOMATION PROBS; AND OVERWORKED AND OFTEN JUNIOR WORKFORCE; THEN YOU HAVE A COMPOUNDED SITUATION WHICH LEADS TO ERROR DURING ONE OF THE HIGHEST VOLUMES OF TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.