TPA CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING THE LACK OF CTLR BRIEFINGS ON A NEW PROC.
Synopsis
TPA CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING THE LACK OF CTLR BRIEFINGS ON A NEW PROC.
Narrative
SITUATION IS NOT SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN ACFT; RATHER A LACK OF BRIEFING OF SIGNIFICANT AIRSPACE CHANGES IN THE TAMPA AREA (PIE SPECIFICALLY). EFFECTIVE OCT/TUE/05; A NEW APCH WAS ADDED AT PIE -- THE RNAV GPS-A. THE CTLRS ON DUTY THAT DAY DISCOVERED THIS NEW APCH BY READING THE LCL NEWSPAPER; WHICH CONTAINED AN ARTICLE ABOUT HOW THIS NEW APCH OVERLIES A PRESENT; DAYLIGHT-ONLY VISUAL APCH (NORTH BAY VISUAL RWY 17L). A CTLR ACTUALLY CALLED THE PAPER TO FIND OUT HOW THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS APCH; YET WE (THE CTLR WORKFORCE) DIDN'T. AFTER THIS EXCHANGE TOOK PLACE; THE RPTR APPARENTLY MADE AN INQUIRY AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; A 'READ AND INITIAL' BRIEFING ITEM APPEARED IN THE READ AND INITIAL BINDER; WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF THAT VERY DAY. NO FACE-TO-FACE BRIEFING WAS PROVIDED TO ANY CTLR; AND OVER 3/4 OF THE WORK FORCE THAT DAY WAS NOT BRIEFED ON A PROC THAT WAS EFFECTIVE PRIOR TO THE START OF SHIFT. THIS APCH ALSO REQUIRED CHANGES TO THE TAMPA SOP'S AND THE LOA BTWN ST PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER ATCT AND TAMPA ATCT -- AGAIN NOT BRIEFED TO THE CTLRS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING SVC TO PLTS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AT TAMPA; RATHER; THIS SEEMS TO BE THE NORM AS OF LATE. CHANGES TO AIRSPACE PROCS ARE NOT BEING BRIEFED IN A TIMELY MANNER; IT IS MORE LIKE 'AFTER THE FACT.' THIS IS DANGEROUS. CTLRS ARE NOT BEING BRIEFED ON ITEMS/CHANGES TO AIRSPACE; APCHS AND/OR PROCS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT POSITIVE AND SAFE SEPARATION OF ACFT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.