Narrative:

Due to the winter storm in the area of stl in 2/90, a ground delay or ground stop had been in place for stl all day. ZKC was scheduled to go darc at XX30. This was delayed until YYYY. It was pointed out to the gateway supervisor by several fpl's that there were numerous proposal strips for departures off of stl. The response was, 'half of them aren't at stl because of the ground delay.' at YYY the ground delay for stl apparently was cancelled and all tmu personnel went home. At YYYY ZKC went darc K. Nobody from the early swing shift was held over and all 3 high altitude sectors were combined up. Only 1 crew remained, consisting of 3 fpl's, 1 deviation certified on 4 manual positions, and 1 supervisor certified on 2 high altitude sectors. By YY15 the high altitude sectors had 2 1/2 bays of strips, many of them stl arrs. An fpl was working the radar, the supervisor working his manual man (as well as performing a-side and supervisor duties). An fpl working on low altitude sector next the highs (sector 54). This controller was acting as a tracker for the high altitude controller; i.e., he was answering his landline, accepting and making handoffs, and entering incoming flight information into his flight list. I was working the other 2 low altitude sectors with the deviation as my manual person. Everyone was extremely busy. The high altitude controller had at least as many as 20 aircraft on the frequencys at a time. We should not have been on darc, and people from the other crew should have been held over on overtime. I do not believe any operrors or operational deviations occurred; however, this was not a safe operation. We had to work at this level of traffic with this # of people for 1 hour. That is when the mid-shifters arrived. They helped with the staffing, but the traffic continued for another 45 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADEQUATE FAC MANNING FOR DARC OPERATION AT ZKC.

Narrative: DUE TO THE WINTER STORM IN THE AREA OF STL IN 2/90, A GND DELAY OR GND STOP HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR STL ALL DAY. ZKC WAS SCHEDULED TO GO DARC AT XX30. THIS WAS DELAYED UNTIL YYYY. IT WAS POINTED OUT TO THE GATEWAY SUPVR BY SEVERAL FPL'S THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS PROPOSAL STRIPS FOR DEPS OFF OF STL. THE RESPONSE WAS, 'HALF OF THEM AREN'T AT STL BECAUSE OF THE GND DELAY.' AT YYY THE GND DELAY FOR STL APPARENTLY WAS CANCELLED AND ALL TMU PERSONNEL WENT HOME. AT YYYY ZKC WENT DARC K. NOBODY FROM THE EARLY SWING SHIFT WAS HELD OVER AND ALL 3 HIGH ALT SECTORS WERE COMBINED UP. ONLY 1 CREW REMAINED, CONSISTING OF 3 FPL'S, 1 DEV CERTIFIED ON 4 MANUAL POSITIONS, AND 1 SUPVR CERTIFIED ON 2 HIGH ALT SECTORS. BY YY15 THE HIGH ALT SECTORS HAD 2 1/2 BAYS OF STRIPS, MANY OF THEM STL ARRS. AN FPL WAS WORKING THE RADAR, THE SUPVR WORKING HIS MANUAL MAN (AS WELL AS PERFORMING A-SIDE AND SUPVR DUTIES). AN FPL WORKING ON LOW ALT SECTOR NEXT THE HIGHS (SECTOR 54). THIS CTLR WAS ACTING AS A TRACKER FOR THE HIGH ALT CTLR; I.E., HE WAS ANSWERING HIS LANDLINE, ACCEPTING AND MAKING HDOFS, AND ENTERING INCOMING FLT INFO INTO HIS FLT LIST. I WAS WORKING THE OTHER 2 LOW ALT SECTORS WITH THE DEV AS MY MANUAL PERSON. EVERYONE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. THE HIGH ALT CTLR HAD AT LEAST AS MANY AS 20 ACFT ON THE FREQS AT A TIME. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON DARC, AND PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER CREW SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD OVER ON OVERTIME. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OPERRORS OR OPERATIONAL DEVIATIONS OCCURRED; HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT A SAFE OPERATION. WE HAD TO WORK AT THIS LEVEL OF TFC WITH THIS # OF PEOPLE FOR 1 HR. THAT IS WHEN THE MID-SHIFTERS ARRIVED. THEY HELPED WITH THE STAFFING, BUT THE TFC CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER 45 MINS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.