Heavy Transport; Low Wing; 4 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2
Troubleshooting; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; No Specific Anomaly Occurred Unwanted Situation
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Airspace Structure; Chart Or Publication; Company Policy; Procedure
This is once again another report about the Steelhead MOA/ATCAA. Area X Controllers were briefed that the Steelhead ATCAA (Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace) was going to be active from 29;000 feet to 31;000 feet from XA:00-XD:00. There would be numerous military aircraft in the MOA (Military Operations Area) due to the VIP being in TVC. When I sat down at the sector; there was already confusion. There were 3 tanker aircraft wanting a clearance into the MOA but it was not yet active. I tried to call the Minneapolis Center military desk and Black Talon (as I've repeatedly been told to do after these reports). Cleveland Center's 'fix' is to call those two facilities. There was no answer at either line. I tried having my Assist call. No answer. I had the Supervisor call. No answer.  I called the Minneapolis Center controller at TVC high sector to try to coordinate a new altitude block of 25;000 to 31;000 feet and was denied. The tankers were given vectors until the airspace went active. At that time; I cleared the tankers into the MOA. During this live operation; the tankers repeatedly asked for more vertical airspace. The supervisor coordinated it and it was granted.I told the Operations Manager (OM) that a dangerous situation was occurring and has been occurring with the Steelhead MOA/ATCAA. He stated that he didn't really know how it worked; but the aircraft controlled the airspace and that he did not think there was an air traffic controller working the airspace. Later on; the OM talked to my supervisor who spoke to me. The supervisor said that Black Talon is only the coordinating agency and they simply schedule the airspace but are not controllers. As the day went on; the tankers were asking to join up and were asking for permission to climb and descend. This is not the procedure for military airspace. In MOA/ATCAA; the aircraft are not under the FAA's control. Whose control are they under? I am still unclear. However; they were soliciting separation services. I didn't even have flight plans for these aircraft any longer. Their radar services had been terminated. I advised them that they are responsible for separating themselves and I was not providing separation services. They informed me that Aircraft Y told them that they had to ask my permission for altitude changes inside the Steelhead ATCAA. There were also several spillouts involving these aircraft. At least 2; I personally saw.After another break I came back to a cap and anchor drawn on the screen. Cleveland Center's military guy had come in and drawn a cap and anchor but had told the controllers it 'wasn't official'. Basically; what it seems happened is someone made a cap and anchor in the Steelhead MOA at 29;000 to 31;000 feet. Cap and anchors are typically inclusive vertical altitudes. The cap and anchor; however; were not in the confines of the Steelhead MOA hence the spillouts. To be clear; the Steelhead ATCAA was active just apparently with a cap and anchor that no one forwarded down the line. The aircraft were making altitude and time adjustments real time; not in advance. It went from FL290B310 to FL200B310 and from XA:00-XD:00 to now XA:00-XG:00. Very last minute changes.To make this matter even worse was that I was controlling the VIP aircraft. I had sent the VIP aircraft through this (at the time) unknown cap and anchor because I wasn't told about it. Every pilot and every aircraft is important to me; but the VIP aircraft was placed in an unsafe proximity to randomly maneuvering military aircraft that were not radar identified; who I no longer had flight plan information on; and who were not on my frequency. It was only after the VIP aircraft flew through that a 'not official' cap and anchor was drawn which not only penetrated Cleveland; but Minneapolis and Toronto Centers as well.The Steelhead MOA/ATCAA seems strangely still very confusing. My supervisor and Operations Manager were unclear; and still are unclear; about it. Does Black Talon coordinate it through the Minneapolis military desk? Does Aircraft Y control it? I give pilots a frequency for Black Talon so maybe there is a controller there? Someone needs to find this stuff out. I personally volunteer for the mission. I will be medically disqualified for weeks and I would spend that time and my own money to travel to wherever or Zoom meeting whoever to figure this out. This has been an on-going issue that was especially perverse today. I have been raising the alarm for quite some time and am passionate about it and would like to personally get/set the record straight so that all aircraft and pilots or safe. I hope this will be met with the serious spirit with which it's written.
As a Supervisor in Area X at Cleveland Center; I spent my morning attempting to coordinate and discover why the aircraft were not following what we were briefed on. Area X was briefed that due to the TFR for VIP at Traverse City; Steelhead ATCAA would be activated from 29;000 to 31;000 feet for tanker and E3 activity.  These altitudes and ATCAA (Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace) were supposed to encompass all AEW (airborne early warning) and supporting activity.  The ATCAA was activated from approximately XA:45Z to XE:00Z; however aircraft showed up before it was active and then requested it to remain active past it's finish time.From the start; every single aircraft requested different altitudes than what was coordinated.  I attempted to get information from Minneapolis Center; our military desk and Black Talon and was unable to get any answers.  Eventually; we extended the Steelhead ATCAA from 23;000 to 31;000 feet to accommodate.  Later; a tanker aircraft requested a block altitude of 20;000 to 22;000 feet and a controller gave him those until established in the lateral boundaries of Steelhead; at which point the controller understood the aircraft would climb to within the altitude limits of Steelhead (FL230-FL310).  The aircraft never climbed.  The controller then coordinated with Minneapolis Center blocking 20;000 to 23;000 feet to accommodate the aircraft.  I then coordinated with our military coordinator to extend Steelhead to include these altitudes.When any aircraft are cleared into the Steelhead complex; radar service is terminated and the aircraft track gets dropped.  This occurred during this session; as we were briefed to treat the aircraft as we normally would with Steelhead.  However; while Steelhead was active; we had multiple occasions where an aircraft went outside of the lateral bounds of the Steelhead complex. After trying repeatedly to find out why this was happening; we discovered that the Sentry track was not fully inside of the Steelhead complex as we were briefed.  At this point I called on the phone to Minneapolis Center supervisors desk; Toronto Center sectors Hamilton and Centralia to warn and pass along that we discovered that our information was incorrect.  VIP Aircraft traveled through our airspace around XB:00 Local time estimated.  Having no Controller in Charges on the entire day shift; I asked the Operations Manager to cover the Supervisor position while I plugged in and monitored the VIP movement.  VIP Aircraft's course traveled about 4 to 5 miles west of the Steelhead ATCAA.  During this time we kept a close eye on any tracks within Steelhead due to their previous spillover events (We were not aware at this point that the Sentry was not fully enclosed within Steelhead).  All tracks were on the East side of Steelhead and not in conflct with the VIP aircraft; however that potential did exist due to the Sentry course that we were not aware of.In addition; multiple aircraft called at the Peck sector to request join ups and altitude changes while within the Steelhead ATCAA.  The aircraft stated that Aircraft Y told them to do so.  I had the controller inform the aircraft calling that Cleveland Center could not provide control instructions within Steelhead ATCAA.  I also told the controller to state that they were not providing any separation services within Steelhead and that it was Aircraft control. At this point the floor walker was involved as well and verified that what we were doing was correct and was able to inform us why aircraft were spilling out of Steelhead. Also; we discovered around XD:00Z that the end time of XE:00Z would not be correct.  This was only because I prompted my controller to ask detailed and blunt questions about if the aircraft within Steelhead would want it open longer.  The aircraft's intention was at XD:45Z to ask to extend Steelhead which in no way is enough time for coordination and planning!  It was only because I pressed the controller to ask aboutan ambiguous statement from an aircraft within Steelhead that we discovered this!There is probably more that I have left out; this was all very fluid and unorganized.  Nothing occurred how we were briefed it was to occur and answers/information were slow and hard to get.[Recommend] Coordination/communication.  The military did not do anything that was expected.  They did not request any of the altitudes that were originally blocked for Steelhead.  They did not communicate far enough in advance to extend Steelhead. Once their abnormal requests were received; there was nobody to call to get answers.  Black Talon is the controlling agency; there were no Whiskey alerts called and information was very slow and untimely to be of use to us.  I recommend that if Steelhead is active; Black Talon needs to be monitoring the airspace.  We need a direct call/shout line for them to inform us of any Whiskey events; or us to ask questions and perform point outs in case of weather; deviations; emergencies or TCAS events.
A Center Controller and Supervisor reported Military Special Use airspace was implemented in their and adjoining facility airspace without complete coordination or established procedures being followed. The Controller unknowingly allowed an aircraft to fly through airspace which was being used by military aircraft not under his control.