FSS CTLR ISSUED WRONG ALT TO SMA X ON GND; BUT LATER MADE A CORRECTION TO THE ALT BEFORE THE SMA DEP.

Date: 1992-02 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FSS CTLR ISSUED WRONG ALT TO SMA X ON GND; BUT LATER MADE A CORRECTION TO THE ALT BEFORE THE SMA DEP.

Narrative

THE PLT OF SMA X CALLED FROM 0Q5 BY TELEPHONE FOR A WX BRIEFING AND AN IFR CLRNC TO CONCORD (BUCHANAN FIELD) CCR. AFTER COMPLETING BRIEFING; CONTACT ZOA SECTOR 42 FOR CLRNC. PLT ADVISED HE WOULD BE READY TO DEPART AT XX20. ZOA CTLR ADVISED THAT SHE HAD TFC ON V27 SBOUND IN THE VICINITY OF SHELTER COVE AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GIVE HIM HIS REQUEST ALT. PLT WAS GIVEN MAINTAIN 7000. AS THE CLRNC WAS BEING READ; ACFT CONTACTED ME ON 123.65; AT YEAGER INTXN FOR WX. THIS DISTR ME MOMENTARILY AS THE ALT WAS BEING READ TO ME. I RECALLED '120' AS THE ALT (ONE OF THE ALTS MENTIONED BY SECTOR 42 AS REQUESTED ALT) AND WROTE THAT DOWN. THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO THE PLT AS WRITTEN WITH ALT AS 'CLB TO 120.' I DID NOT VERIFY THE ALT WITH ZOA ON THE FIRST CONTACT. AFTER THE PLT HUNG UP; I REALIZED THAT MY RECOLLECTION WAS NOT ALL THAT CLR ON THE ALT; SO I CALLED ZOA 42 TO VERIFY ALT. ZOA 42 ADVISED 'CLB TO 120.' I THEN ADVISED ZOA AT ABOUT XX13 THAT I ISSUED 'CLB TO 120' AS ASSIGNED ALT. I TOLD CTLR I WOULD ATTEMPT TO CONTACT SMA X. CALLED PELICANS LNDG RESTAURANT AT 0Q5; THEY HAVE A RADIO ON 122.7 AND CALL THEMSELVES 'UNICOM' ALTHOUGH THE ARPT/FACILITY DIRECTORY LISTS 122.9 AS THEIR CTAF AND NO UNICOM. I MADE 3 BROADCASTS IN THE BLIND ON FOT VOR AND ON 122.3 TO HAVE SMA X CONTACT ACV FSS ON 122.3. AT XX32; THE PLT CALLED ON THE TELEPHONE TO SAY HE 'GOT THE AMENDED ALT OF 70;' BUT HE COULDN'T MAKE THE VOID TIME. HE REQUESTED A CLRNC TO DEPART IN 6-7 MIN. CALLED ZOA 42 TO ADVISE; SMA X WAS ON THE GND 0Q5 AND DID NOT DEPART. ZOA 42 CANCELLED THE CLRNC AND GAVE THEM AN EXPECT CLRNC TIME OF 1800 ('ON THE HR'). PLT WAS ABLE TO WORK A CLRNC FROM CTR AND DEPARTED. THE PROCS INVOLVED IN RECEIVING A CLRNC OFF SHELTER COVE ARE JUST ASKING FOR PROBLEMS. THE CTLR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SECTOR HAS TO BLOCK OFF LARGE AMOUNTS OF AIRSPACE TO PROTECT THE CLBING ACFT UNTIL IT IS IN RADIO CONTACT. ALTHOUGH THE MEA ON V27 IS 6700 FT; NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT ACFT IN THIS LOW ALT SECTOR CAN BECOME DANGEROUS. I FEEL THAT THE REALIGNMENT OF THE SECTORS SO THAT THE OFFSHORE SECTOR HAS CTL OF THIS ARE MIGHT AID IN PREVENTING THIS. HOWEVER; DUE TO THE LOW AMOUNTS OF IFR TFC GOING INTO/OUT OF 0Q5 MIGHT NOT BE WORTH THIS REALIGNMENT. AS A SECOND CHOICE PERHAPS; AN RCO FOR ZOA OR ACV AT 0Q5 MIGHT GREATLY IMPROVE THIS SITUATION. ACV FSS ROUTINELY PROVIDE CLRNCS BY RADIO TO ACFT AT CEC AND 016 ON 122.3 AND EKA ON 122.35. CAPABILITY IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN MORE MOUNTAINOUS AREA E OF ACV AT 021 (HOOPA). THIS FACILITY IS ONLY USEFUL WITHIN 10 MI. EACH RCO IS LOCATED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE ARPTS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.