Narrative:

The fdep and inter/intra face of the ARTS failed requiring the controllers to copy all arrival strips or handoff from the center and manually/verbally handoff each arrival/departure to and from the center plus between positions in the TRACON. As the area supervisor on duty, I, after interaction and communication with the controllers working the sectors, determined that some additional flow control was going to be required to keep the sectors manageable and safe. We determined as a minimum we needed 10 mi in trail at the 4 main arrival fixes and 7 mi in trail for same direction departures. With this information, I approached the area manager on duty at the desk and advised him what I intended to do (i.e., put these flow restrictions into effect). The area manager's response was 'no we don't need to, the handoff positions can handle it.' I went back to the floor and continued monitoring the operation and on a number of occasions had to assist the north side handoff position with some additional duties. After about 10 minutes I informed the north controllers that if they started to get overloaded put a hold on the departures and ask the center to hold the arrs at the outer fixes, and I again approached the area manager and asked for a compromise. 'How about the restrictions on just the north side'. His response was 'I already told you it's not needed'. (I must note here that the area supervisors are certified and current on all operating positions and that the area mgrs are not certified on any positions nor are they required to be in this facility.) the actions that I eventually took were that I went behind the area manager's back and talked to the area supervisors in the center and tower and explained the problem to them and told them, although I wasn't asking for any specific in trail spacing, to give me as much as they could so I would not have to go into a holding situation. The result was good and in some cases got really more than I needed or would have gotten if I asked for the specifics. The additional actions that should be taken are remove the area mgrs or anyone else that are not certified on control positions from the decision making process of the actual operational area and restrict their responsibilities and authority to the administrative functions only that are necessary for the total operation of the control room. I sincerely believe this problem had a significant impact on the safety of our system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC TRACON COMPUTER INTERFACE WENT OTS AS WELL AS TRACONS INTRAFACE EQUIPMENT. SUPVR REQUESTED FLOW PROC AND AREA MANAGER REFUSED TO IMPLEMENT ANY. SUPVR DID SO WITHOUT AREA MANAGER'S APPROVAL.

Narrative: THE FDEP AND INTER/INTRA FACE OF THE ARTS FAILED REQUIRING THE CTLRS TO COPY ALL ARRIVAL STRIPS OR HANDOFF FROM THE CENTER AND MANUALLY/VERBALLY HANDOFF EACH ARR/DEP TO AND FROM THE CENTER PLUS BETWEEN POSITIONS IN THE TRACON. AS THE AREA SUPVR ON DUTY, I, AFTER INTERACTION AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE CTLRS WORKING THE SECTORS, DETERMINED THAT SOME ADDITIONAL FLOW CONTROL WAS GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO KEEP THE SECTORS MANAGEABLE AND SAFE. WE DETERMINED AS A MINIMUM WE NEEDED 10 MI IN TRAIL AT THE 4 MAIN ARR FIXES AND 7 MI IN TRAIL FOR SAME DIRECTION DEPS. WITH THIS INFO, I APPROACHED THE AREA MGR ON DUTY AT THE DESK AND ADVISED HIM WHAT I INTENDED TO DO (I.E., PUT THESE FLOW RESTRICTIONS INTO EFFECT). THE AREA MGR'S RESPONSE WAS 'NO WE DON'T NEED TO, THE HANDOFF POSITIONS CAN HANDLE IT.' I WENT BACK TO THE FLOOR AND CONTINUED MONITORING THE OPERATION AND ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS HAD TO ASSIST THE NORTH SIDE HANDOFF POSITION WITH SOME ADDITIONAL DUTIES. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES I INFORMED THE NORTH CTLRS THAT IF THEY STARTED TO GET OVERLOADED PUT A HOLD ON THE DEPS AND ASK THE CENTER TO HOLD THE ARRS AT THE OUTER FIXES, AND I AGAIN APPROACHED THE AREA MGR AND ASKED FOR A COMPROMISE. 'HOW ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON JUST THE NORTH SIDE'. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'I ALREADY TOLD YOU IT'S NOT NEEDED'. (I MUST NOTE HERE THAT THE AREA SUPVRS ARE CERTIFIED AND CURRENT ON ALL OPERATING POSITIONS AND THAT THE AREA MGRS ARE NOT CERTIFIED ON ANY POSITIONS NOR ARE THEY REQUIRED TO BE IN THIS FACILITY.) THE ACTIONS THAT I EVENTUALLY TOOK WERE THAT I WENT BEHIND THE AREA MGR'S BACK AND TALKED TO THE AREA SUPVRS IN THE CENTER AND TWR AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THEM AND TOLD THEM, ALTHOUGH I WASN'T ASKING FOR ANY SPECIFIC IN TRAIL SPACING, TO GIVE ME AS MUCH AS THEY COULD SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO INTO A HOLDING SITUATION. THE RESULT WAS GOOD AND IN SOME CASES GOT REALLY MORE THAN I NEEDED OR WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IF I ASKED FOR THE SPECIFICS. THE ADDITIONAL ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN ARE REMOVE THE AREA MGRS OR ANYONE ELSE THAT ARE NOT CERTIFIED ON CONTROL POSITIONS FROM THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF THE ACTUAL OPERATIONAL AREA AND RESTRICT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS ONLY THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE TOTAL OPERATION OF THE CONTROL ROOM. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE SAFETY OF OUR SYSTEM.

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