Lack of adequate controller staffing on midnight shift from 12 am to 6 am.

Attributes
ACN	146164
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cak
State Reference	OH
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	146164
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	146183
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Cak is a level III tower/TRACON and we are forced to work midshifts alone, which means remoting the TRACON to the tower and working off the BRITE. The radar control panel, beacon and radar channel/change control knobs, cp and lp, are all in the TRACON, inaccessible to the controller unless the controller abandons his position to make the necessary adjustments when needed. The resolution to this procedure is so simple--staff 1 more journeyman (fpl) to the midshift. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated he knew the purpose of the NASA/ASRS program. He sent these reports to establish a data base for working shifts alone. Reporter said that a ucr had been filed with facility management on the same subject matter. I suggested that he call the administrator's hotline if this problem is critical to the safety of the system. He further explained the problem of leaving the cabin and the controller's concern about their safety of working alone from 12 am to 6 am. Traffic activity during these hours are from 1-3 aircraft. Aircraft are most training flts with a few overflts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LACK OF ADEQUATE CTLR STAFFING ON MIDNIGHT SHIFT FROM 12 AM TO 6 AM.

Narrative: CAK IS A LEVEL III TWR/TRACON AND WE ARE FORCED TO WORK MIDSHIFTS ALONE, WHICH MEANS REMOTING THE TRACON TO THE TWR AND WORKING OFF THE BRITE. THE RADAR CTL PANEL, BEACON AND RADAR CHANNEL/CHANGE CTL KNOBS, CP AND LP, ARE ALL IN THE TRACON, INACCESSIBLE TO THE CTLR UNLESS THE CTLR ABANDONS HIS POS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS WHEN NEEDED. THE RESOLUTION TO THIS PROC IS SO SIMPLE--STAFF 1 MORE JOURNEYMAN (FPL) TO THE MIDSHIFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED HE KNEW THE PURPOSE OF THE NASA/ASRS PROGRAM. HE SENT THESE RPTS TO ESTABLISH A DATA BASE FOR WORKING SHIFTS ALONE. RPTR SAID THAT A UCR HAD BEEN FILED WITH FAC MGMNT ON THE SAME SUBJECT MATTER. I SUGGESTED THAT HE CALL THE ADMINISTRATOR'S HOTLINE IF THIS PROB IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF THE SYS. HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THE PROB OF LEAVING THE CABIN AND THE CTLR'S CONCERN ABOUT THEIR SAFETY OF WORKING ALONE FROM 12 AM TO 6 AM. TFC ACTIVITY DURING THESE HRS ARE FROM 1-3 ACFT. ACFT ARE MOST TRNING FLTS WITH A FEW OVERFLTS.

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.