Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 14.5
Workload; Confusion; Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Procedure; Human Factors
I had been a position for a while and we got the start of a GMN exit fix departure rush. MORR sector blends departures over this exit fix from LAX; BUR; VNY; SMO and LGB. We are supposed to go 8 MIT; but we can stack departures at 13; 14 and 15;000 as long as we have 8 MIT between the end element and the beginning element of the next stack. The sector itself; north to south; is about 25 miles in length. I have not watched the playback and didn't have time to fill out a report last night; so I don't recall the exact details. Numerous departures over GMN began to come out off of LAX. I then got departures off of VNY and BUR. This was going to require me to make at least 3 groups 8 MIT. The first group was a single lead aircraft; the two following groups were to have elements of three. This was going to require extensive vectoring. All the feeding sectors were on my side of the aisle (VLYR right beside me; WDLR a bit further down). There was training at the VLYR. We cannot shut down the LAX stream. Because I was busy; I didn't use the landline; but rather 'shouted' down the line 'No more GMNs'. WDLR didn't think I actually meant it; they thought I was lamenting the grouping I was already working on and making a joke because of how busy I was at the time. WDLR doesn't normally look very far south towards LAX; so they may have been unaware LAX was still pumping out GMN departures. A few minutes later; I get another departure off VNY over GMN; and I yell again 'No more GMN departures!' WDLR replied 'Sorry; I didn't know you were serious'. A little bit later two departures come off BUR. Perhaps because training was going on; they were oblivious to my pleas. I looked at both of them and said 'No more GMN departures! Put those guys 8000 on the buffer (a 255 heading)!' Apparently; this was not processed very well. The first BUR departure came to me on a 320 heading climbing 13000. I repeated; 'I need them 8000 on the buffer'! I got the second airplane on the buffer; but apparently the '8000' was not understood and the aircraft; unbeknown to me; was climbing to 13;000; I assume. At least that's what I think happened; because I do not recall issuing a climb. To be honest; I was in desperation mode; and it is possible I did issue a climb and didn't remember doing it. Either way; this aircraft was pointed at an LAX SID that comes to us at 9000. I issue the LAX SID a climb to 13;000; thinking the buffer heading traffic is at 8000. I then notice the buffer traffic is climbing through 9000. I issue a northbound heading to the buffer traffic and tell the LAX SID to stop climb. LAX SID traffic responds that they will and that they have the traffic in sight. I tell them to maintain visual separation; but in the rush; don't remember if I used the call sign. If there was a loss; I don't think it was by much. I apologize for not having better details with call signs. If I had used the landline to coordinate; chances are WDLR would not have assumed I was joking with him and I would have had VLYR's attention better; who may have been too focused on their own sector with training going on and the trainee being very new. I was thinking and planning and talking so much; I felt like I didn't have enough time to coordinate over the landline and assumed everyone could see what LAX was giving me. I feel like that's the lynchpin; actually. Without BUR Area departures; the LAX stream would have been much easier to organize into groupings. [I was told] the ARMT (Airport Resource Management Tool) for SOCAL that it was possible to put a patch on BUR Area scopes a display that told the controller how many GMN exit fix aircraft were taxiing out. I felt like this could be a good tool to anticipate large rushes sooner and avoid this kind of scenario. The feeling in the Area was that pushes like this didn't occur enough to be that much of a factor. I still feel as though it would have been a benefit. Also; I don't know if there is any flow restriction fromTMU on successive GMN departures; but if there is more than 3 in a lineup; it would be helpful to have at least 8 MIT between groups of three departures over that fix.
SCT Controller reported of being inundated by Gorman VOR departures. Controller reported asking others to stop giving him these departures; but it was not done.