Citation Excel (C560XL)
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I was the RADAR instructor at Sector X. A Citation Excel was enroute out from the high sector descending to 15;000. We had a TFR 18;000 and below active with only schedule air carriers allow in. We were in the process of re-drawing the TFRs when the Excel violated the TFR. Having to draw this airspace was a major factor for missing the Excel. Another factor was that we were briefed on the TFRs as they were going active. There needs to be a more simple way to designate restricted airspace during presidential movements. Our draw function ran out of inputs. There was no prior briefing of these events until today; unlike other pre-planned events which are briefed much earlier.
There were multiple TFRs and CAP and ANCHORS to support Presidential movement. Sector X had recently been opened up. I had pre-drawn the TFRs that were going active on the scope and when the trainee came back to open up the sector I showed him the TFRs I drew and that I have turned the intensity (brightness) down on them so when they went active all he had to do was raise the intensity level. I told the trainer when he showed up what I had done and that I had shown the trainee what needed to be done. Traffic was picking up in the sector when they opened it so I had another Controller who just walked into the control room assume the Sector X-Radar position. I assigned the position; it's not my responsibility to make sure he receives his position relief briefing. I then received several calls in a row from the Traffic Management Unit about a new CAP and ANCHORs that were going active immediately. I was helping another sector draw the CAP and ANCHOR and had another Controller who was not assigned a position copy down the latitude/longitude points to give to the controllers at Sector X for them to draw. An Excel was being worked by Sector X at the time Sector X was trying to draw the CAP and ANCHOR when the Excel violated the TFR which I had already drawn for them and told the trainee about earlier. I found out about the violation from the Watch Desk approximately 10 minutes later. The activation of the CAP and ANCHOR was very distracting. I knew it was going active during the day but it was supposed to be later and hadn't been drawn yet. A more timely notice of even 15-30 minutes could have prevented the large number of phone calls and trying to draw on the maps while the fighters were transitioning. I advised the controllers that inside of the TFR only air carriers were allowed but there was some confusion whether Air Taxi/Fractional aircraft and similar operators were allowed. I informed them earlier that Air Taxis were not allowed but it apparently wasn't clear to the controllers and they appeared to have been too busy to ask while drawing the CAP and ANCHOR and working traffic and talking to the military planes traversing the airspace at the same time. I also was too busy to monitor their sector while receiving almost non-stop phone calls and trying to help the other low altitude sector draw the CAP and ANCHOR on their scope.
Enroute Controller described a VIP TFR incursion when facility briefings and coordination failed.