DA40 Diamond Star
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Human Factors
In our Letter of Agreement with SCT we have procedures for data tag information on our practice low approaches. If an aircraft is southeast bound after an approach the data tag says IIL. The first I is ILS; the second I is Riverside Sector; the L means low approach. This means the aircraft will make a left turn southeast bound. If and aircraft is westbound after an approach the data tag says IPL; the P stands for the Pomona Sector; this means the aircraft will depart heading 260. In this instance; the aircraft data tag said IIL; but the pilot was told H260. We expected the aircraft to turn left and head southeast bound; instead the pilot told us he was H260. This time there was no loss of separation because we were slow. We have seen this scenario numerous times in the past few months that IPL will be in the tag and the aircraft makes an unexpected turn southeast bound into our downwind traffic. This is very dangerous as we do not issue traffic to them. SCT has also changed data tags after we have already cleared the pilot; without giving us a heads up. So the same situation occurs. SCT RAL/POM sector controllers need to put the correct information in the data tag; and they should not change the Data tag without some type of coordination.
CNO Controller voiced concern regarding SCT Controller's failure to comply with LOA requirement regarding Data Tag information. The reporter noted these failure could easily result in a serious safety event.