Understaffed disp office in air carrier operations.

Attributes
ACN	200552
Time
Date	199201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	200552
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On 1/tue/92, a dispatcher called in sick for the afternoon shift. The call was made approximately xy:oo am, the shift was scheduled to start at pm:30 local. Management elected not to cover the shift and assigned an assistant dispatcher, (not qualified according to company training policy) to work the desk. I was assigned to work my desk as well as delegate authority on the assistant's desk. I was able to monitor most of what was happening on both desks until I became very, very busy handling multiple problems with my own flts. My attention centered around my own desk and I wasn't able to keep a close eye on everything on the other desk. Even though I had all the confidence in the world for the work the assistant was doing, I felt the situation was not 100 percent in control and if the workload for the assistant or myself was to increase safety of flight may have been in jeopardy. In closing, I will not accept being in this situation in the future, there's too much at risk.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNDERSTAFFED DISP OFFICE IN ACR OPS.

Narrative: ON 1/TUE/92, A DISPATCHER CALLED IN SICK FOR THE AFTERNOON SHIFT. THE CALL WAS MADE APPROX XY:OO AM, THE SHIFT WAS SCHEDULED TO START AT PM:30 LCL. MGMNT ELECTED NOT TO COVER THE SHIFT AND ASSIGNED AN ASSISTANT DISPATCHER, (NOT QUALIFIED ACCORDING TO COMPANY TRAINING POLICY) TO WORK THE DESK. I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK MY DESK AS WELL AS DELEGATE AUTHORITY ON THE ASSISTANT'S DESK. I WAS ABLE TO MONITOR MOST OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON BOTH DESKS UNTIL I BECAME VERY, VERY BUSY HANDLING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH MY OWN FLTS. MY ATTN CENTERED AROUND MY OWN DESK AND I WASN'T ABLE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON EVERYTHING ON THE OTHER DESK. EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD FOR THE WORK THE ASSISTANT WAS DOING, I FELT THE SITUATION WAS NOT 100 PERCENT IN CTL AND IF THE WORKLOAD FOR THE ASSISTANT OR MYSELF WAS TO INCREASE SAFETY OF FLT MAY HAVE BEEN IN JEOPARDY. IN CLOSING, I WILL NOT ACCEPT BEING IN THIS SITUATION IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S TOO MUCH AT RISK.

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.