ZSU CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SOP POS DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS RELATED TO COORD AND RADAR ASSOCIATE POS.

Date: 2006-03

Synopsis

ZSU CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SOP POS DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS RELATED TO COORD AND RADAR ASSOCIATE POS.

Narrative

THE APCH COORDINATOR POS AS DEFINED IN THE SAN JUAN CERAP SOP'S HAS TOO MANY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR 1 POS. THE APCH COORDINATOR POS HAS TO COORD FOR W CTL; E CTL; SATELLITE; AND ALL THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS IF THEY ARE MANNED AT ANY MOMENT. IN ADDITION; THE APCH COORDINATOR POS HAS TO RECEIVE COORD FROM ALL THE CTR SECTORS AROUND APCH AND WITH SAN JUAN; ST THOMAS; ST CROIX; ISLA GRANDE; AND BEEF ISLAND TOWERS. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR 1 PERSON TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THOSE TASKS AND ENSURE SAFETY. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE A COORDINATOR FOR EACH POS AND STAFF THEM WHEN NEEDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 690499: THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS; AS DEFINED IN THE 7110.65; HAS TO ENSURE SEPARATION. THE RADAR AND ASSOCIATE POS SHARE; AMONG OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES; THE SEPARATION BTWN ACFT. IF THE RADAR CTLR HAS AN OPDEV OR OPERROR; DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION; THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CAN GET PART OF THE ERROR. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS; AS DEFINED IN THE SAN JUAN CERAP SOP'S HAS MANY OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RADAR COORDINATOR. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE HAS TO ENSURE SEPARATION PLUS COORD WITH THE TWRS; FACILITIES; AND SECTORS. HE ALSO HAS TO MANUALLY TYPE THE VFR FLT PLANS INTO THE SYS. WHILE HE IS PERFORMING ALL OF THOSE DUTIES; THE TFC PICTURE COULD BE LOST. ALSO; THERE IS A MAJOR CONFUSION BTWN CTLRS WHEN THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THIS POS AND THE SUPVRS WHO ASSIGNED THE POS TO ANOTHER CTLR. IN SOME SITUATIONS; ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS A COORDINATOR; BUT AS AN ASSOCIATE HIS DUTY IS TO ENSURE SEPARATION AND NOT OTHER COORD. THE RESULT OF ALL THIS ACTION IS A DECREASE IN THE AWARENESS AND THE SAFETY OF THE SECTOR. FOR EXAMPLE; WHEN A CTLR IS WORKING R7 AND ANOTHER IS WORKING RA7; THE R7 CTLR THINKS THAT THE RA7 CTLR IS GOING TO COORD EVERYTHING AND TAKE CARE OF THE NON RADAR SEPARATION. THIS IS NOT COMPLETELY CORRECT BECAUSE AS RA7; THE CTLR NEEDS TO CONSTANTLY WATCH THE RADAR SCOPE TO ENSURE SEPARATION. THE ACTUAL COORD DUTY IS SHARED EQUALLY BTWN BOTH. IF THE SUPVR OR CTLR NEEDS SOMEONE TO COORD ONLY; THEN THE CORRECT POS SHOULD BE RADAR COORDINATOR. THE DUTIES OF THE RADAR COORDINATOR NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RADAR ASSOCIATE DEFINITION IN THE SOP AND ADD THEM TO THE COORD POS. ALSO; THE APCH CTLRS; TWR CTLRS AND SUPVRS NEED TO BE BRIEFED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BTWN THESE 2 POS.

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