Narrative:

Assigned to work a single controller midshift. First relief controller was scheduled to arrive at 06:00. Responsible for complete operation of ATC tower including flight data, clearance delivery, ground control, 'local' controls, radar approach/coordinator position and primary frequencys and secondary frequencys. Invariably, concurrent aircraft and veh xmissions on different frequency repeatedly occur. Distraction factor is high until one is able to sort things out and formulate appropriate responses. 1 person completed, 2 telephone calls from the ARTCC reference traffic count statistics; 2 other telephone calls; all log entries; the ARTCC computer shutdown causing tower fdio equipment outage and manual calls on flight plan data; dfw ARTS OTS and rts, causing additional BRITE radar control adjustments, resetting of tab and other lists, as well as reentry of alphanumeric data; runway change and equipment switch over; various coordination calls to/from maintenance ramp area and runway xings involved; due to noise abatement jet aircraft landing/departing only the west parallel runway additional runway xings; police helicopter patrol operations; ambulatory helicopter operations, including 4 directly over the airport at low level; hourly strip count and traffic documentation; receipt of hourly WX observations and subsequent hourly ATIS recording and prebroadcast monitoring. Although a total of only 22 'countable' aircraft operations, what happens during the early morning hours after traffic has stopped when the physically and mentally exhausted controller simply drops off into deep sleep? Personal inconveniences aside, no position relief or a meal or a restroom break, there must be a safer way!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT WORKING MID SHIFTS IN TWR CAB WITH ONLY ONE PERSON.

Narrative: ASSIGNED TO WORK A SINGLE CTLR MIDSHIFT. FIRST RELIEF CTLR WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT 06:00. RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETE OPERATION OF ATC TWR INCLUDING FLT DATA, CLRNC DELIVERY, GND CTL, 'LCL' CTLS, RADAR APCH/COORDINATOR POS AND PRIMARY FREQS AND SECONDARY FREQS. INVARIABLY, CONCURRENT ACFT AND VEH XMISSIONS ON DIFFERENT FREQ REPEATEDLY OCCUR. DISTR FACTOR IS HIGH UNTIL ONE IS ABLE TO SORT THINGS OUT AND FORMULATE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES. 1 PERSON COMPLETED, 2 TELEPHONE CALLS FROM THE ARTCC REFERENCE TFC COUNT STATISTICS; 2 OTHER TELEPHONE CALLS; ALL LOG ENTRIES; THE ARTCC COMPUTER SHUTDOWN CAUSING TWR FDIO EQUIP OUTAGE AND MANUAL CALLS ON FLT PLAN DATA; DFW ARTS OTS AND RTS, CAUSING ADDITIONAL BRITE RADAR CTL ADJUSTMENTS, RESETTING OF TAB AND OTHER LISTS, AS WELL AS REENTRY OF ALPHANUMERIC DATA; RWY CHANGE AND EQUIP SWITCH OVER; VARIOUS COORD CALLS TO/FROM MAINT RAMP AREA AND RWY XINGS INVOLVED; DUE TO NOISE ABATEMENT JET ACFT LNDG/DEPARTING ONLY THE W PARALLEL RWY ADDITIONAL RWY XINGS; POLICE HELI PATROL OPS; AMBULATORY HELI OPS, INCLUDING 4 DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT LOW LEVEL; HOURLY STRIP COUNT AND TFC DOCUMENTATION; RECEIPT OF HOURLY WX OBSERVATIONS AND SUBSEQUENT HOURLY ATIS RECORDING AND PREBROADCAST MONITORING. ALTHOUGH A TOTAL OF ONLY 22 'COUNTABLE' ACFT OPS, WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS AFTER TFC HAS STOPPED WHEN THE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY EXHAUSTED CTLR SIMPLY DROPS OFF INTO DEEP SLEEP? PERSONAL INCONVENIENCES ASIDE, NO POS RELIEF OR A MEAL OR A RESTROOM BREAK, THERE MUST BE A SAFER WAY!

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.