Narrative:

The real problem I feel comes from our lack of staffing. The 2 sectors involved are both located in areas where there is not sufficient staffing to allow operation of the super high sectors that we are now authority/authorized. For almost 4 yrs lagrange super high has been certified as a separate sector. However, during that time, it has not been opened and is always combined with ft wayne high. Since all of the areas and facs that surround us have operating high and super high sectors, our already complex and heavy workload is increased by the additional traffic and coordination that is required to operate combined sectors!! The FAA would like to call this a communication error (see alert bulletin), but regardless of whether or not they can classify all their errors into convenient categories, the underlying problems of short staffing and combined sectors will continue to increase our errors and jeopardize air safety. Note: I was the radar man that was not advised of the coordination, so I was not implicated in this error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLIMBED THROUGH ALT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT DURING A PERIOD OF HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH COMBINED SECTORS.

Narrative: THE REAL PROB I FEEL COMES FROM OUR LACK OF STAFFING. THE 2 SECTORS INVOLVED ARE BOTH LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT STAFFING TO ALLOW OPERATION OF THE SUPER HIGH SECTORS THAT WE ARE NOW AUTH. FOR ALMOST 4 YRS LAGRANGE SUPER HIGH HAS BEEN CERTIFIED AS A SEPARATE SECTOR. HOWEVER, DURING THAT TIME, IT HAS NOT BEEN OPENED AND IS ALWAYS COMBINED WITH FT WAYNE HIGH. SINCE ALL OF THE AREAS AND FACS THAT SURROUND US HAVE OPERATING HIGH AND SUPER HIGH SECTORS, OUR ALREADY COMPLEX AND HEAVY WORKLOAD IS INCREASED BY THE ADDITIONAL TFC AND COORD THAT IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE COMBINED SECTORS!! THE FAA WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS A COM ERROR (SEE ALERT BULLETIN), BUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN CLASSIFY ALL THEIR ERRORS INTO CONVENIENT CATEGORIES, THE UNDERLYING PROBS OF SHORT STAFFING AND COMBINED SECTORS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR ERRORS AND JEOPARDIZE AIR SAFETY. NOTE: I WAS THE RADAR MAN THAT WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE COORD, SO I WAS NOT IMPLICATED IN THIS ERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.