Fighting Falcon F16
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
I was working Sector 90 (FL240B330) and 47 (000B230) combined. I had quite a bit of activity going on; particularly military activity. I had a Heavy C135 in AR613 refueling multiple F16s; who were then requesting to go into Outlaw/Jackal MOAs and one into RUBY. I had several inbounds and outbounds from TUS that required a lot of work. I had several departures from PHX and arrivals from PHX that also required a lot of work; as well as multiple VFRs. I also had two departures from FHU that required a lot of work because the GCA has no automation. In TOMBSTONE; I had a pair of A10s (was in there when I took over the sector); then subsequently a second pair of A10s departed DMA requesting TOMBSTONE FL350 and below. These two are (from DMA) and are both MARSA with each other. Right about the same time; Libby (FHU) GCA called for a hand off on a single F16 VFR requesting TOMBSTONE. I told them he couldn't get an IFR clearance because he probably wasn't MARSA; to which the GCA controller said he was VFR. I didn't want to try to explain to him that they require an IFR clearance to climb into Class A airspace; so I just took RADAR. Once the single F16 called me; I asked him if he was MARSA with the first A10s and the second pair of A10s; he replied he was MARSA with a pair of F16s. I wasn't talking to the two F16s (they were on a VFR low level; though I had a flight plan in URET). I asked him again; he replied the same. The third attempt to get the information out; he told me he was not MARSA with the A10s. I told him I would not be able to issue an IFR clearance into TOMBSTONE since he was not MARSA; gave him the local altimeter and a frequency change. They were working in the TOMBSTONE East portion VFR; the A10s were in the North portion. Although TOMBSTONE is divided into three different areas; we do not have authority to clear them into the disparate areas. Right after this; the two F16s called me for a clearance into TOMBSTONE; I RADAR identified him; told him the same thing as what I had told the single F16; told him to maintain VFR; and gave them a frequency change. He told me he was MARSA with the single F16 to which I replied roger. Some time later; I had a C130 off of DMA requesting to go into the Cochise Orbit. The orbit entailed a big block of airspace south of SSO; encompassing the entire TOMBSTONE MOA plus other areas outside the ATCAA. The C130 was not MARSA with anyone in TOMBSTONE; so I had to vector them outside the area in the TUS arrival corridor; greatly increasingly my already high workload. I called both the first A10 pair and the second pair of A10s on Guard to see if I could cap them in TOMBSTONE at or below FL200; the second pair of A10s said they were already beginning to climb above it to do their maintenance check. The C130 offered to stay in the orbit but outside TOMBSTONE; though I didn't think that would be a legal clearance since I couldn't ensure three miles from the ATCAA boundary. The first A10 pair never came on frequency. As I was done talking to the C130; I saw the single F16 heading westbound towards the general direction of CIE (the normal recovery point out of TOMBSTONE); but I wasn't receiving a Mode C; it was triple X'ed. I assumed they were leaving VFR. I saw the two F16s about ten miles behind with a Mode C of 185. Since they hadn't received a clearance; I went to DARC and saw that the single F16 was at FL210. Luckily; I had at least one A10 on frequency; so I started calling traffic. I called the single F16 and the two F16s on Guard and admonished them; saying they didn't have a clearance; there were A10s in the area; and started telling them both where the A10s were. Apparently; the single F16 had called the A10s (I'm not sure if both flights were contacted) and had worked out to stay above FL195 to stay clear of them. Not wanting to exacerbate a safety issue by forcing the F16s down out of airspace and into the A10s; I let it go; and continued to call traffic. I was at a bit of a loss for what to do. I basically had three different military units requesting the same airspace at the same time; none of whom were MARSA with each other. First; the scheduling by the military unit for TOMBSTONE was absolutely atrocious. It would appear that none of the units requesting this airspace knew about each other; though the C130 mentioned something about it. I'm not even sure the three different units knew about the scheduling. The scheduling must improve; this seems to happen with regularly. Second; when this kind of complex military flying is going on; the low sector must absolutely be split off. I was way to busy by the time it got into the core of this mess to request it. I got a D-Side something I should have asked for much earlier. At one point; I think I had 24 aircraft in my ACL; but I was to busy to look at URET much.
ZAB Controller described a very busy and complex control period involving multiple military aircraft all apparently scheduled in the same airspace at the same time without prior coordination.