Controller claims that personnel cutbacks have decreased airway facilities staffing coverage.

Attributes
ACN	261407
Time
Date	199401
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : csg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	261407
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

On jan X the radar controller observed an approaching line of WX (precipitation). The controller notified the supervisor, in which he attempted to start the backup generator. The backup generator did not respond. The supervisor notified mcc. A technician has been notified and will be here shortly. I feel this will be one of the many problems to occur. With the recent FAA order 6030.1E reducing technicians hours to administrative hours this is very unsafe for the flying public. The FAA has no way of insuring a technician will respond to an outage. The technicians are no longer at the facility at night, wkends, and holidays. I feel that in the event of a radar outage and not having a technician available on hand to correct the problem could result in a serious incident. The corrective action desired is to have a technician on hand during working hours of air traffic. The FAA airway facilities technician is an integral part of providing the safe, expeditious and orderly flow of air traffic to the flying public.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT PERSONNEL CUTBACKS HAVE DECREASED AIRWAY FACILITIES STAFFING COVERAGE.

Narrative: ON JAN X THE RADAR CTLR OBSERVED AN APCHING LINE OF WX (PRECIPITATION). THE CTLR NOTIFIED THE SUPVR, IN WHICH HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE BACKUP GENERATOR. THE BACKUP GENERATOR DID NOT RESPOND. THE SUPVR NOTIFIED MCC. A TECHNICIAN HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. I FEEL THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE MANY PROBS TO OCCUR. WITH THE RECENT FAA ORDER 6030.1E REDUCING TECHNICIANS HRS TO ADMINISTRATIVE HRS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC. THE FAA HAS NO WAY OF INSURING A TECHNICIAN WILL RESPOND TO AN OUTAGE. THE TECHNICIANS ARE NO LONGER AT THE FACILITY AT NIGHT, WKENDS, AND HOLIDAYS. I FEEL THAT IN THE EVENT OF A RADAR OUTAGE AND NOT HAVING A TECHNICIAN AVAILABLE ON HAND TO CORRECT THE PROB COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INCIDENT. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION DESIRED IS TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN ON HAND DURING WORKING HOURS OF AIR TFC. THE FAA AIRWAY FACILITIES TECHNICIAN IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF PROVIDING THE SAFE, EXPEDITIOUS AND ORDERLY FLOW OF AIR TFC TO 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.