A Center Controller reported a military drone spilled out of Special Use Airspace and caused a conflict with a descending air carrier. Controller expressed concern that operation of drones near the Control Extension is unsafe and could result in a collision.
Synopsis
A Center Controller reported a military drone spilled out of Special Use Airspace and caused a conflict with a descending air carrier. Controller expressed concern that operation of drones near the Control Extension is unsafe and could result in a collision.
Narrative
I was working ZLA Sector XX/XY combined. The Military had taken the Ocean to a configuration that leaves us with one control extension to work all planes into and out of Southern California to/from the Pacific Ocean. South of this only control extension is W291; controlled by Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility (FACSFAC) San Diego. FACSFAC was working a Drone right on the border of their airspace and Sector XY; and never called me with any kind of Point Out; Coordination; or Whisky Alert. The Drone indicated FL186. Aircraft X was descending out of FL190 to cross GOATZ at 160; when it started flashing conflict alert with this Drone that was now violating my airspace; in direct conflict with Aircraft X. I keyed up to give Aircraft X a traffic alert. This control extension is so narrow that vectoring Aircraft X is not possible without violating Warning airspace on either side. Taking ZLA down to 1 Control Extension; where all traffic into and out of SoCal from the Pacific Ocean is Climb and Dive in a narrow extension that we cannot vector in is already unsafe. Allowing the military to run drones right on the border of this airspace; when they have thousands of miles of open airspace; is ludicrous. There will be a collision one day between a passenger jet and a Navy Operation if this does not change; and the quality of 'controller' at FACSFAC allowed to work by themselves does not improve. FACSFAC needs to be held to a much higher standard; and make pointouts on aircraft that are going to enter my airspace. Luck is the only reason that Aircraft X did not crash into this drone.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.