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Manual approach control tower due to staffing problem controller worked combined positions of operation alone for 7 hours.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 282458 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199409 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gjt |
| State Reference | CO |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| ASRS Report | 282458 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On sun/aug/94 I worked 3 control positions (local, ground, approach/departure) and one (1) non-control position for 7 consecutive hours without help, relief, or breaks. This situation arose when one of the controllers scheduled to work with me became ill. Since the FAA said they would not authorize overtime in such cases I was forced to contribute to a situation that was not only potentially hazardous for the users but also in direct conflict with the FAA's goal of 'ensuring the safe and expeditious flow of air traffic.' granted, I did a more than adequate job under these circumstances, but to allow such a policy to continue on a regular basis in hopes that 'it will all work out ok' because the FAA is too short-sighted to allow for adequate staffing is at the very least unprofessional and potentially much worse: callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the atm retired in april when the buyout was offered. Atm was the only management on the facility. Facility was unsupervised and management was given from the hub facility slc ATCT. Hub facility directed no overtime be used. Controller's received no instruction about what to do in a lack of staffing situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MANUAL APCH CTL TWR DUE TO STAFFING PROB CTLR WORKED COMBINED POSITIONS OF OP ALONE FOR 7 HRS.
Narrative: ON SUN/AUG/94 I WORKED 3 CTL POSITIONS (LCL, GND, APCH/DEP) AND ONE (1) NON-CTL POS FOR 7 CONSECUTIVE HRS WITHOUT HELP, RELIEF, OR BREAKS. THIS SIT AROSE WHEN ONE OF THE CTLRS SCHEDULED TO WORK WITH ME BECAME ILL. SINCE THE FAA SAID THEY WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE OVERTIME IN SUCH CASES I WAS FORCED TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SIT THAT WAS NOT ONLY POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOR THE USERS BUT ALSO IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE FAA'S GOAL OF 'ENSURING THE SAFE AND EXPEDITIOUS FLOW OF AIR TFC.' GRANTED, I DID A MORE THAN ADEQUATE JOB UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT TO ALLOW SUCH A POLICY TO CONTINUE ON A REGULAR BASIS IN HOPES THAT 'IT WILL ALL WORK OUT OK' BECAUSE THE FAA IS TOO SHORT-SIGHTED TO ALLOW FOR ADEQUATE STAFFING IS AT THE VERY LEAST UNPROFESSIONAL AND POTENTIALLY MUCH WORSE: CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE ATM RETIRED IN APRIL WHEN THE BUYOUT WAS OFFERED. ATM WAS THE ONLY MGMNT ON THE FACILITY. FACILITY WAS UNSUPERVISED AND MGMNT WAS GIVEN FROM THE HUB FACILITY SLC ATCT. HUB FACILITY DIRECTED NO OVERTIME BE USED. CTLR'S RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTION ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN A LACK OF STAFFING SIT.
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.