2008-11 · NASA ASRS report 813849
STS CONTROLLERS EXPRESS CONCERN REGARDING NEW PROCEDURE REQUIRING CONTROLLERS TO RECORD RELIEF BRIEFINGS; ALLEGING PROCEDURE IS NOT PRACTICAL AND AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION.
OUR LOCAL MGMNT; IN AN EFFORT TO DECREASE COORD ERRORS; HAS IMPLEMENTED A REQUIREMENT TO RECORD ALL COORD BTWN LCL CTL/TWR AND GND CTL/FLT DATA. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS RECORDING OF COORD IS CUMBERSOME; AWKWARD; TIME-CONSUMING; AND DISTRACTING -- PARTICULARLY FOR LCL CTL; OUR BUSIEST AND MOST DEMANDING POSITION. WE ARE USING AN OVERRIDE FUNCTION TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND THIS CAN BE VERY DISRUPTIVE. IT ALSO OFTEN REQUIRES LCL CTL TO RETURN TO THE CONSOLE TO PUSH A BUTTON; WHEN A BETTER USE OF LCL CTL'S TIME MIGHT BE LOOKING OUT A WINDOW ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE CAB TO SPOT AN ACFT. OF COURSE; WHEN TFC IN LIGHT; THIS COORD IS EASILY ACCOMPLISHED AND OFFERS SOME LIMITED BENEFITS. HOWEVER; AS BOTH LCL CTLRS AND GND CTL'S/FLT DATA'S WORKLOAD INCREASES; THE LIMITED BENEFITS ARE QUICKLY OUTWEIGHED BY THE DECREASE IN SAFETY AND AWARENESS THAT THE RECORDING PROCESS INVOLVES. FUNNY THING IS; THE FAA CONSIDERS AN FM RADIO PLAYING SOFTLY IN THE BACKGND COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE; BUT AN OVERRIDE IN YOUR EAR IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE. AS FAR AS I KNOW; THERE IS NO NATIONAL REQUIREMENT TO RECORD ALL THIS; ONLY TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAL! AND IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO RECORD THESE COORDS DURING BUSY TFC. TO REQUIRE THIS; RESULTS IN UNNECESSARY DISTRS DECREASING SAFETY!
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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