Controller required to work alone in tower cabin.

Attributes
ACN	147163
Time
Date	199005
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cak
State Reference	OH
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cak
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 11
ASRS Report	147163
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:

At cqk on ATCT I was required to work a single controller midnight shift XA00 pm 5/xx/90 to XC00 am, 5/sb/90. This requires 1 controller to work arrival data, departure data, clearance delivery, ground control, local control and arrival/departure radar at a level III approach control, serving 16 INS airports west/O relief from XA30 pm to XB00 am. This required that approach control be operated from the tower BRITE radar display. During adverse WX conditions as on 5-XA/5/xb, I am required to abandon my position in the tower to make any adjustments on the radar for WX. All WX and precipitation adjustments are located in the radar (TRACON) 2 floors below the tower. The alarm indicating primary radar failure is also located in the radar room and is not monitored in the tower. Alarms indicating receipt of a 7700 squawk code are also located only in the TRACON. When I request a bathroom break, I have to close both the tower and approach control. Tracking of primary radar targets during adverse WX precipitation on the BRITE radar is almost impossible. This means the controllers are vectoring for INS approachs using secondary radar only.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REQUIRED TO WORK ALONE IN TWR CABIN.

Narrative: AT CQK ON ATCT I WAS REQUIRED TO WORK A SINGLE CTLR MIDNIGHT SHIFT XA00 PM 5/XX/90 TO XC00 AM, 5/SB/90. THIS REQUIRES 1 CTLR TO WORK ARR DATA, DEP DATA, CLRNC DELIVERY, GND CTL, LCL CTL AND ARR/DEP RADAR AT A LEVEL III APCH CTL, SERVING 16 INS ARPTS W/O RELIEF FROM XA30 PM TO XB00 AM. THIS REQUIRED THAT APCH CTL BE OPERATED FROM THE TWR BRITE RADAR DISPLAY. DURING ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS AS ON 5-XA/5/XB, I AM REQUIRED TO ABANDON MY POS IN THE TWR TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS ON THE RADAR FOR WX. ALL WX AND PRECIPITATION ADJUSTMENTS ARE LOCATED IN THE RADAR (TRACON) 2 FLOORS BELOW THE TWR. THE ALARM INDICATING PRIMARY RADAR FAILURE IS ALSO LOCATED IN THE RADAR ROOM AND IS NOT MONITORED IN THE TWR. ALARMS INDICATING RECEIPT OF A 7700 SQUAWK CODE ARE ALSO LOCATED ONLY IN THE TRACON. WHEN I REQUEST A BATHROOM BREAK, I HAVE TO CLOSE BOTH THE TWR AND APCH CTL. TRACKING OF PRIMARY RADAR TARGETS DURING ADVERSE WX PRECIPITATION ON THE BRITE RADAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THIS MEANS THE CTLRS ARE VECTORING FOR INS APCHS USING SECONDARY RADAR ONLY.

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.