Narrative:

I was working the rdu hi sector during afternoon of 03/sun/89. The iad inbound push was coming. At rdu hi we were required to sequence 2 streams of converging traffic into one stream 15 mit. In the midst of the push, the sector's frequencys became intermittent. My xmissions only went out partially, sometimes a call sign, sometimes just control instructions. I had many airplanes turned for sequencing and some were converging at the same altitude. Luckily, there was no loss of separation. The situation was quite chaotic. I was unable to sequence the aircraft though they all got turned back towards fak. We combined rdu hi with tyi hi sector and transferred aircraft to tyi hi's frequency as best we could (I did have a d-side controller's help). It was only through luck that there wasn't a loss of separation or worse. I had to repeat xmissions 3 or 4 times to get instructions out. Basically, there was just not much I could do except hope for the best. (The problem was on main, standby and buec.) also, I had personally tried to get off the boards due to burn-out starting the previous friday. My supervisor was on annual leave and one on an adjacent crew whom I spoke with just had me continue working until my supervisor came back. I had to call in sick to be able to get off the control position on monday. Frequency losses occur often and can push people over the edge if they are already close to it. It did me. I think there are two safety issues here: 1) frequency loss during heavy traffic period. 2) a controller working the boards after having told someone in first level supervision that they needed time off.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC FREQ INTERMITTENT CAUSING HECTIC CTL SITUATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RDU HI SECTOR DURING AFTERNOON OF 03/SUN/89. THE IAD INBND PUSH WAS COMING. AT RDU HI WE WERE REQUIRED TO SEQUENCE 2 STREAMS OF CONVERGING TFC INTO ONE STREAM 15 MIT. IN THE MIDST OF THE PUSH, THE SECTOR'S FREQS BECAME INTERMITTENT. MY XMISSIONS ONLY WENT OUT PARTIALLY, SOMETIMES A CALL SIGN, SOMETIMES JUST CTL INSTRUCTIONS. I HAD MANY AIRPLANES TURNED FOR SEQUENCING AND SOME WERE CONVERGING AT THE SAME ALT. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE SITUATION WAS QUITE CHAOTIC. I WAS UNABLE TO SEQUENCE THE ACFT THOUGH THEY ALL GOT TURNED BACK TOWARDS FAK. WE COMBINED RDU HI WITH TYI HI SECTOR AND TRANSFERRED ACFT TO TYI HI'S FREQ AS BEST WE COULD (I DID HAVE A D-SIDE CTLR'S HELP). IT WAS ONLY THROUGH LUCK THAT THERE WASN'T A LOSS OF SEPARATION OR WORSE. I HAD TO REPEAT XMISSIONS 3 OR 4 TIMES TO GET INSTRUCTIONS OUT. BASICALLY, THERE WAS JUST NOT MUCH I COULD DO EXCEPT HOPE FOR THE BEST. (THE PROBLEM WAS ON MAIN, STANDBY AND BUEC.) ALSO, I HAD PERSONALLY TRIED TO GET OFF THE BOARDS DUE TO BURN-OUT STARTING THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY. MY SUPVR WAS ON ANNUAL LEAVE AND ONE ON AN ADJACENT CREW WHOM I SPOKE WITH JUST HAD ME CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL MY SUPVR CAME BACK. I HAD TO CALL IN SICK TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE CTL POSITION ON MONDAY. FREQ LOSSES OCCUR OFTEN AND CAN PUSH PEOPLE OVER THE EDGE IF THEY ARE ALREADY CLOSE TO IT. IT DID ME. I THINK THERE ARE TWO SAFETY ISSUES HERE: 1) FREQ LOSS DURING HEAVY TFC PERIOD. 2) A CTLR WORKING THE BOARDS AFTER HAVING TOLD SOMEONE IN FIRST LEVEL SUPERVISION THAT THEY NEEDED TIME OFF.

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.