King Air C90 E90
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Airspace Structure; Procedure
I was working the London RADAR; it was an IFR day. A King Air was requesting the RNAV23 approach at AAS; which is an airport located just a mile or two outside of London's airspace; in Area 1; Sector 19 New Hope. The King Air was coming from the southwest and it's not uncommon for our area; Sector 21; to issue the approach clearance to this airport. I pointed out the King Air to Sector 19 and told him that he is doing an instrument approach; I thought I included the fact that it was the RNAV23; but not fully sure. He said point out approved. I issued the approach clearance; sometime went by; and the king Air reported established inbound; he was then switched to advisory frequency. A minute or two after that ZME (Nashville low) called me for a point out and a block at GLW airport for a PA-46. This aircraft was coming in from the west; and was probably out of 060 at the beginning of the phone call. I hesitated and said; 'I have an aircraft on an approach at AAS;' with ZME still on the line; I was looking up our confliction chart on the ERIDS. I asked him if he had a moment while I looked and if he had cleared him yet. The PA-46 was heading for ZERAX; the IAP for RNAV26. He said he hadn't cleared him yet. As I looked my confliction chart; there was nothing on my chart about GLW. I also wondered why ZME was calling me because it's not that close to Sector 21 and the PA-46 was already on the ZME New Hope boundary. I 'quick looked' New Hope and they apparently had taken the point out as it was slant zeroed on their scope. I then said point out approved and I'll block; by this time the aircraft was around 045 descending. This left me unsettled. As I started looking into the approach charts more; I looked on my ERIDS for the protected airspace for AAS; including the missed approach fix for the King Air. It was in the same area as ZERAX. If my King Air would have done a missed approach he would have climbed to 030 direct KANOA; the PA-46's altitude at ZERAX was 030. I tried to resector my ERIDS to Area 1 to see what their confliction chart showed with these two approaches. I went through the different sectors until one was available; and it showed that indeed they were a confliction. By now; the PA-46 was already procedure turn inbound heading away from the confliction. FSS called shortly there after with a down time. Recommendation; I wondered why did this happen. Why did Sector 19 take a point out on my King Air and then another on PA-46; did they not know that the two approaches conflicted? These are 2 airports that they clear aircraft for approach. They had the resources to look to see if it was a confliction. My conclusions on this would be: 1 - under no circumstances should Sector 21 clear an aircraft into or out of AAS; and it should remain solely with Sector 19. 2- provide all and the correct resources to Sector 21 to continue to clear aircraft at AAS. 3 - Have Area 1 become familiar with their airports; potential conflictions; protected airspace; since they have the resources available at the sector.
ZID Controller described an unsafe event involving two aircraft making an IFR approach to an airport near the boundary of ZID and ZME; the reporter suggesting increased controller familiarity with the potential conflicts in this area.