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A departing small transport was forgotten by the controller and penetrated adjacent facility airspace. Reporter cites controller shortage as the cause.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 159584 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199010 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : avl |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : tys |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 14 controller radar : 7 flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 159584 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
This situation was a direct result of controllers being forced to work heavy traffic below normal staffing. This day we were caught working short-handed and were unable to split the radar position to handle the heavy traffic. This resulted in a departure aircraft, small transport X, straying off course and losing radio contact before controllers were able to notice this. The aircraft later was found in tys approach airspace west/O any loss sep between aircraft. This did result in a panic situation and lost of extra work to block airspace when we were unable to find said aircraft. This day we would have normally had 5 controllers on duty to handle this known busy time (fri P.M., lunch time, and fog that had lifted earlier, plus very good VFR), but instead was forced to work with 4 due to a letter dated 8/fri/90 from the atm rescinding the use of overtime to save money and make himself look good. This is a level 2 approach (radar) control facility but at times we often work level 3 and more traffic as this day. This situation was easily recognized as a problem but received no help from atm who could have made himself available to assist during this time. This could have easily been avoided with the addition of 1 extra person being called in on overtime or at least help from staff. This day was more traffic than any controller at any facility can work safely and a dollar value should never be placed about the safety of the flying public.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DEPARTING SMT WAS FORGOTTEN BY THE CTLR AND PENETRATED ADJACENT FAC AIRSPACE. REPORTER CITES CTLR SHORTAGE AS THE CAUSE.
Narrative: THIS SITUATION WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF CTLRS BEING FORCED TO WORK HEAVY TFC BELOW NORMAL STAFFING. THIS DAY WE WERE CAUGHT WORKING SHORT-HANDED AND WERE UNABLE TO SPLIT THE RADAR POS TO HANDLE THE HEAVY TFC. THIS RESULTED IN A DEP ACFT, SMT X, STRAYING OFF COURSE AND LOSING RADIO CONTACT BEFORE CTLRS WERE ABLE TO NOTICE THIS. THE ACFT LATER WAS FOUND IN TYS APCH AIRSPACE W/O ANY LOSS SEP BTWN ACFT. THIS DID RESULT IN A PANIC SITUATION AND LOST OF EXTRA WORK TO BLOCK AIRSPACE WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND SAID ACFT. THIS DAY WE WOULD HAVE NORMALLY HAD 5 CTLRS ON DUTY TO HANDLE THIS KNOWN BUSY TIME (FRI P.M., LUNCH TIME, AND FOG THAT HAD LIFTED EARLIER, PLUS VERY GOOD VFR), BUT INSTEAD WAS FORCED TO WORK WITH 4 DUE TO A LETTER DATED 8/FRI/90 FROM THE ATM RESCINDING THE USE OF OVERTIME TO SAVE MONEY AND MAKE HIMSELF LOOK GOOD. THIS IS A LEVEL 2 APCH (RADAR) CTL FAC BUT AT TIMES WE OFTEN WORK LEVEL 3 AND MORE TFC AS THIS DAY. THIS SITUATION WAS EASILY RECOGNIZED AS A PROB BUT RECEIVED NO HELP FROM ATM WHO COULD HAVE MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO ASSIST DURING THIS TIME. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AVOIDED WITH THE ADDITION OF 1 EXTRA PERSON BEING CALLED IN ON OVERTIME OR AT LEAST HELP FROM STAFF. THIS DAY WAS MORE TFC THAN ANY CTLR AT ANY FAC CAN WORK SAFELY AND A DOLLAR VALUE SHOULD NEVER BE PLACED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC.
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.