Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1
Communication Breakdown; Workload; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Procedure
Aircraft X was originally a DYAMD3 arrival into SFO. Sector 33 was told to put the aircraft on the YOSEM3 arrival and that meant the aircraft would go to 28L. Once Sector 34 accepted the hand off there was discussion of the 5 metering number on the aircraft. The number was ignored as the operation board showing SFO DYAMD3 (TBM) or metering and the YOSEM3 (Off). Since the Board we follow showed YOSEM as off (in the past we ignore the meter number as the computer thinks the aircraft is on the DYAMD3 we did not slow or turn Aircraft X to bleed the number to a 1 or 0. As the aircraft approached the point for the descend via; the CIC advised that the flow control unit called and said the '5' is real and we need to bleed it. I immediately called Cedar sector at NorCal and explained the situation and asking if she could take the aircraft at 250 knots and work accordingly. She agreed and the R controller followed the CIC persistence to spin the aircraft and Aircraft X did a 360 at FL340. Fortunately; the sector was not too busy and it worked out but for crying out loud this was a major gaff and we need some direction in the future and not 'last second.' Number one; if I coordinate with the sector (Cedar at NorCal) that should be good and the CIC not question me and believing me to ignore their instructions or flow. Secondly; the Supervisor needed to pass onto the CIC or the Sector 33 controller to bleed the 5 off and turn the overhead board on to show YOSEM (TBM)! Finally; flow control in our center knows that sector 33 takes care of all the spacing and should have made a more timely call to the CIC when sector 34 took the Hand off and not so late that the aircraft was getting ready for final descent into SFO. We never ever wait that long to bleed a 5!
ZOA Center Controller reported confusion relating to an aircraft on a non-metered route that had a 5 minute loss time.