Narrative:

Scheduled sun night through mon morning mid-watch, solo!--our normal procedures: normally combined positions: flight data/clearance delivery, local control (east)/local control (west). Often combined: R1/C1 (radar approach/coordinator). All positions: flight data, clearance delivery, ground control, local control (tower) east and west, radar approach and coordinator. Functions of all tracab positions are worked by 1 individual on a mid. Frequently overlapping xmissions on various frequencys occurs. This delays the control process as valuable time is wasted attempting to sort the incoming messages, formulate appropriate responses and attempt to get all pilots on the same frequency. Until this is accomplished, the distraction factor is extremely high. Confusion often abounds during these transition periods. Add landline coordination with dfw/FSS/WX/phones. Weekday mids: XXXX. Weekend mids: YYYY. Relief person(south) scheduled to arrive by 0x00. Weekdays, relief usually 1 on-air traffic assistant for flight data/clearance delivery positions and 1 fpl atcs for local control/radar approach or ground control. Weekends: only 1 fpl to assist or relieve and work all positions combined. Next watch relief usually includes 1 supervisor and 2-3 controllers (not necessarily all fpl's), and will normally be scheduled ot arrive at 0y00. No relief available! The common (so-called) 'acceptable' practice is to abandon the tower, leaving it completely unmanned, while relieving oneself downstairs. Variations exist--advising dfw approach, ATIS announcements, etc. Traffic on weekends is typically light; weekdays busier (usually up to 50 or 60 operations that are 'countable' (lndgs and takeoffs). Add to this vehs checking runways, txwys, lighting systems; aircraft tows; aircraft taxiing to/from midfield runup area, to/from various FBO's and fueling areas; etc. Additionally, noise abatement procedures require jet aircraft to depart from the west parallel runway forcing many to taxi across 1 or 2 active runways (most of our FBO's are located on the east side of the airport). Staffing is apparently adequate to schedule 2 persons. However, if/when this occurs, it may only be for the busiest weekday nights (mon-thurs). A recent aircraft mishap (fatal crash) on the major access road to the airport forced the single working controller to remain on position for over 2 hours until he could be relieved. No personal injuries--recently. Unsatisfactory! Unsafe!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 1 CTLR FAC MANNING ON MIDNIGHT SHIFT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED SUN NIGHT THROUGH MON MORNING MID-WATCH, SOLO!--OUR NORMAL PROCS: NORMALLY COMBINED POSITIONS: FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY, LCL CTL (E)/LCL CTL (W). OFTEN COMBINED: R1/C1 (RADAR APCH/COORDINATOR). ALL POSITIONS: FLT DATA, CLRNC DELIVERY, GND CTL, LCL CTL (TWR) E AND W, RADAR APCH AND COORDINATOR. FUNCTIONS OF ALL TRACAB POSITIONS ARE WORKED BY 1 INDIVIDUAL ON A MID. FREQUENTLY OVERLAPPING XMISSIONS ON VARIOUS FREQS OCCURS. THIS DELAYS THE CTL PROCESS AS VALUABLE TIME IS WASTED ATTEMPTING TO SORT THE INCOMING MESSAGES, FORMULATE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES AND ATTEMPT TO GET ALL PLTS ON THE SAME FREQ. UNTIL THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED, THE DISTR FACTOR IS EXTREMELY HIGH. CONFUSION OFTEN ABOUNDS DURING THESE TRANSITION PERIODS. ADD LANDLINE COORD WITH DFW/FSS/WX/PHONES. WEEKDAY MIDS: XXXX. WEEKEND MIDS: YYYY. RELIEF PERSON(S) SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE BY 0X00. WEEKDAYS, RELIEF USUALLY 1 ON-AIR TFC ASSISTANT FOR FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY POSITIONS AND 1 FPL ATCS FOR LCL CTL/RADAR APCH OR GND CTL. WEEKENDS: ONLY 1 FPL TO ASSIST OR RELIEVE AND WORK ALL POSITIONS COMBINED. NEXT WATCH RELIEF USUALLY INCLUDES 1 SUPVR AND 2-3 CTLRS (NOT NECESSARILY ALL FPL'S), AND WILL NORMALLY BE SCHEDULED OT ARRIVE AT 0Y00. NO RELIEF AVAILABLE! THE COMMON (SO-CALLED) 'ACCEPTABLE' PRACTICE IS TO ABANDON THE TWR, LEAVING IT COMPLETELY UNMANNED, WHILE RELIEVING ONESELF DOWNSTAIRS. VARIATIONS EXIST--ADVISING DFW APCH, ATIS ANNOUNCEMENTS, ETC. TFC ON WEEKENDS IS TYPICALLY LIGHT; WEEKDAYS BUSIER (USUALLY UP TO 50 OR 60 OPS THAT ARE 'COUNTABLE' (LNDGS AND TKOFS). ADD TO THIS VEHS CHKING RWYS, TXWYS, LIGHTING SYSTEMS; ACFT TOWS; ACFT TAXIING TO/FROM MIDFIELD RUNUP AREA, TO/FROM VARIOUS FBO'S AND FUELING AREAS; ETC. ADDITIONALLY, NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS REQUIRE JET ACFT TO DEPART FROM THE W PARALLEL RWY FORCING MANY TO TAXI ACROSS 1 OR 2 ACTIVE RWYS (MOST OF OUR FBO'S ARE LOCATED ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT). STAFFING IS APPARENTLY ADEQUATE TO SCHEDULE 2 PERSONS. HOWEVER, IF/WHEN THIS OCCURS, IT MAY ONLY BE FOR THE BUSIEST WEEKDAY NIGHTS (MON-THURS). A RECENT ACFT MISHAP (FATAL CRASH) ON THE MAJOR ACCESS ROAD TO THE ARPT FORCED THE SINGLE WORKING CTLR TO REMAIN ON POS FOR OVER 2 HRS UNTIL HE COULD BE RELIEVED. NO PERSONAL INJURIES--RECENTLY. UNSATISFACTORY! UNSAFE!!

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.