AN ARTCC OCEANIC CTLR STATES THAT THERE IS DAILY; INCORRECT SECTOR STRIP POSTING FOR ACFT NOT UNDER HIS CTL AT SECTOR OC9; CAUSING ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD TO DETERMINE WHERE THE CORRECT STRIP POSTING SHOULD OCCUR. THE RPTR BELIEVES THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE.
Synopsis
AN ARTCC OCEANIC CTLR STATES THAT THERE IS DAILY; INCORRECT SECTOR STRIP POSTING FOR ACFT NOT UNDER HIS CTL AT SECTOR OC9; CAUSING ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD TO DETERMINE WHERE THE CORRECT STRIP POSTING SHOULD OCCUR. THE RPTR BELIEVES THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE.
Narrative
WHILE WORKING OCEANIC POS OC9 THIS MORNING; PACOTS TFC DICTATED THAT THE SECTOR BE CONFIGURED IN A WAY WHICH REQUIRED PACOTS #3 TO TRAVERSE MY AIRSPACE FROM 165E TO 180E; WITHOUT WORKING THE ACTUAL TFC ON THE RTE. THIS IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE AT ZOA. THUS; I WAS RECEIVING NUMEROUS PIREPS WHICH DID NOT PERTAIN TO THE ACFT I WAS WORKING. THIS AFFECTS SVC TO THE AIRLINES AS WELL AS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. THE SVC ISSUE IS THAT THE OCEANIC CTLR HAS TO TAKE TIME TO COGNITIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE EACH MESSAGE TO INSURE THAT HE/SHE IS NOT WORKING THE RECEIVED PIREP. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT AFTER RECEIVING SEVERAL OF THESE ERRONEOUS MESSAGES; THE CTLR COULD INADVERTENTLY PASS OVER A PIREP FROM AN ACFT IN HIS/HER CTL; THINKING THAT IT DOES NOT BELONG TO HIM/HER. THIS IS A RECURRING SIT WHICH MAY CAUSE/CONTRIBUTE TO AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT. IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN UP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IN THE UCR FORUM; NEVER BEING PROPERLY ADDRESSED. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF; THERE ARE NO LCL PROCS WHICH FIX THE ABOVE DESCRIBED CONDITION FOR EVERY TFC FLOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY OPS SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CALLED FACILITY OPS SPECIALIST TO OBTAIN CLARIFICATION OF RPTR'S ISSUE. SPECIALIST IS AWARE OF PROB AND HAS RECENTLY RECEIVED MGMNT DOCUMENTATION FOR CORRECTION. SECTOR OC9 IS THE LAST OCEANIC CTL SECTOR TO HAVE SOFTWARE ADAPTATIONS ALLOWING THE SECTOR TO BE FURTHER DIVIDED INTO SUBDIRECTED FIX POSTING AREAS (FPA'S). THESE CHANGES WILL ALSO ENSURE CTLRS ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL SUBDIRECTED FPA'S RECEIVE ALL NECESSARY PIREP STRIPS; AND THE CTLR FROM WHICH FPA'S WERE TAKEN; DO NOT. ADAPTATION SOFTWARE CHANGES FOR OC9 ARE EXPECTED TO BE IMPLEMENTED NEXT MONTH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.