Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C; 210D
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 10.0
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace
Airspace Structure; Procedure; Manuals; Human Factors; Company Policy
Approach Control called on the landline and asked what altitude that I showed active in the Restricted airspace. I answered that I was displaying Restricted Airspace from the surface to 10;000 feet. The controller at Approach informed me that they were showing Restricted areas active from SFC-22;000 feet since the previous day. I called other affected Center sectors to ask what they were displaying and both sectors said only surface to 10;000 feet. I went ahead and told both controllers what Approach told me and to show the airspace active to 22;000 feet until the situation was resolved. I then informed my supervisor of the situation. I was told by my supervisor later that it was confirmed by tape review that the airspace was approved active by a controller working the previous day. Prior to Approach calling me; Aircraft X had flown through Restricted Areas A and B coming level at 13;000 feet. Prior to this incident; Aircraft Y departing climbing to 22;000 feet had been vectored to the west to accommodate traffic flow and may have violated the restricted airspace as well.I would recommend that coordination on this restricted airspace be done through the Operations Manager; Traffic Management Unit or Supervisor along with the controller's approval. Workload is a bit much to ask the controller on a sector to get two other sector's approval of releasing the airspace to Approach and inputting the information into the URET (User Request Evaluation Tool) all while working traffic on the sector.
I was Controller in Charge. Approach called over the shout line to coordinate Restricted areas altitudes from the surface to 22;000 feet. The procedure for this is Approach calls Center Sector 41 and coordinates the use of airspace. Center sector 41 will turn the airspace on for the center environment via EDST (En Route Decision Support Tool) which will automatically display on the Radar scopes. This particular instance Approach called for Center. The handoff Assist trainee picked up and mistakenly approved the request. As CIC (Controller in Charge) when this change happens I update the ESIS (Enhanced Status Information System) board in the area. I did not hear or was not made aware of this change. Restricted airspace was active but not displayed. Approach needs to be clear about calling the correct Center sector on the shout line. This event would have never transpired if they had done so.
ZME ARTCC Controller and a Controller in Charge reported aircraft were allowed to fly through Restricted Airspace due to faulty coordination.