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Controller reporter complains about short staffing on the mid-shift that provides no time for breaks.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 153868 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199008 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zla |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 153868 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
I was working sector 3 on the midnight shift in area B. The area on the 'mid' is combined up at 2 sectors with only 2 controllers to staff these positions. Therefore, there is no legitimate opportunity to take a break on this 8 hour shift or even the chance to run to the bathroom west/O leaving an open sector unattended. After working steady traffic for over 4 hours I began to look for an opportunity to leave the position for several mins to go to the bathroom. Finally after almost 4 1/2 hours on position I couldn't wait any longer. I realized there would be no opportunity to leave the sector with no aircraft in it. So I called ZOA to ask them to take a handoff and to ship me an aircraft so I could go to the bathroom. I left the position at XB50 and returned at XB55. When I left I had 4 aft that I was responsible for. The other controller in area B was aware of my brief absence but was unable to properly, much less legally, monitor my sector because of his duty to monitor his own sector. I believe this is an unsafe and illegal operation. The ZLA management knows about and apparently condones this operation. They do admit that there should be another controller on the mid in area B to allow for breaks, but that critically short staffing does not allow for this.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT SHORT STAFFING ON THE MID-SHIFT THAT PROVIDES NO TIME FOR BREAKS.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING SECTOR 3 ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT IN AREA B. THE AREA ON THE 'MID' IS COMBINED UP AT 2 SECTORS WITH ONLY 2 CTLRS TO STAFF THESE POSITIONS. THEREFORE, THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A BREAK ON THIS 8 HR SHIFT OR EVEN THE CHANCE TO RUN TO THE BATHROOM W/O LEAVING AN OPEN SECTOR UNATTENDED. AFTER WORKING STEADY TFC FOR OVER 4 HRS I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE POS FOR SEVERAL MINS TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. FINALLY AFTER ALMOST 4 1/2 HRS ON POS I COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. I REALIZED THERE WOULD BE NO OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE SECTOR WITH NO ACFT IN IT. SO I CALLED ZOA TO ASK THEM TO TAKE A HDOF AND TO SHIP ME AN ACFT SO I COULD GO TO THE BATHROOM. I LEFT THE POS AT XB50 AND RETURNED AT XB55. WHEN I LEFT I HAD 4 AFT THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE OTHER CTLR IN AREA B WAS AWARE OF MY BRIEF ABSENCE BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY, MUCH LESS LEGALLY, MONITOR MY SECTOR BECAUSE OF HIS DUTY TO MONITOR HIS OWN SECTOR. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL OPERATION. THE ZLA MGMNT KNOWS ABOUT AND APPARENTLY CONDONES THIS OPERATION. THEY DO ADMIT THAT THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER CTLR ON THE MID IN AREA B TO ALLOW FOR BREAKS, BUT THAT CRITICALLY SHORT STAFFING DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THIS.
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.