Date: 201501
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: PHL.TRACON, PA
Light: Dusk
Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight plan: None
Flight phase: Final Approach
Airspace: Class B PHL
ATC / advisory: TRACON PHL
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Approach
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Troubleshooting; Workload
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
Contributing factors: Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: PHL airport sits adjacent to the Delaware River. When we are running visuals to runway 35; we must be aware of 'Tall ship' activity in the channel. If it is daylight; we must tell the pilot about the ship; its type and direction; and advise the pilot to 'Call the ship in sight'. After dark; we must suspend arrivals to runway 35 until such time that the ship is clear of the channel. River Watch (city of Philadelphia) advises TRACON OM of ship activity. Today I was working W; running the final to runway 35; during a very busy push. I hadn't been on position for very long at the time of the incident. During the position relief briefing when I took the sector; the controller being relieved did not tell me about any ships in the channel at the approach end to runway 35. Just after he unplugged and walked away; he came back over and told me that there was currently a ship in the channel. I made the 'Ship in the channel' call to an aircraft that I had just cleared for the visual; and switched him to tower. A very short time later I heard the supervisor say that the first ship was clear and that there would be another ship later. The supervisor did not make this call to me on a recorded line; nor did he make this statement directly to me; instead it was shouted in the room. I was very busy at the time. I did hear another controller ask the supervisor if the 2nd ship was due to arrive around sunset; to which the supervisor said yes. Because I was busy; I didn't look at the current time; nor did I try to determine what time sunset was. I figured the supervisor would advise me when the next ship entered the channel; and if it were due to arrive after dark I assumed he would give me a 'Suspend' time.A while later I over [heard] another controller elsewhere in the TRACON talking about the ship in the channel. I turned around and asked the controller if there was a ship in the river; to which the controller said 'Yeah; I think so. Any time now.' I asked what time sunset was and the controller said XA47z. I looked at the clock and it was XA47z. I heard nothing from the supervisor.  I turned and asked the supervisor if there was a ship in the river and he said 'Yes; but we don't need to suspend.' I told him that it was after sunset; and he told me that River Watch had said the ship would be clear before sunset. I questioned him again; because he had just told me there was a ship in the river and it was already after sunset. The supervisor again told me that the ship would be no factor. I didn't understand how he could be saying this; as there was a ship in the river (as per him) and it was after sunset. About that time the phone rang; it was River Watch advising that the ship was clear. It was about 2 minutes after sunset.In any case; I was not advised of this ship in the river ahead of time; as I am supposed to be. I had been running traffic to runway 35 with this ship in the river and had not been making my 'Ship advisories'. Furthermore; after the sun went down; we should have stopped arrivals to runway 35 all together until the ship was clear. This didn't happen. The supervisor's communication regarding the ships in the channel was terrible. I was not told about the 2nd ship; and clearly the supervisor was confused over what was supposed to happen at sunset.1. Supervisors should be required to advise the W controller of ships in the river; and suspend/clear times; on a recorded landline.2. Supervisors should be briefed on what we are supposed to do with runway 35 arrival traffic; after sunset; when there is a ship in the channel.




Synopsis: PHL Tower Controller describes a notification procedure of ships in the channel; which identifies a procedure where in day time hours the pilots must report the ship in sight. At night the controllers must suspend arrivals to Runway 35 until the ship is clear of the channel. The controller working complained of bad coordination from the Front Line Manager and not knowing if a ship was in the channel at sunset.