Narrative:

This is being filed to advise of a situation that is occurring more frequently and is being ignored, and even condoned, by the FAA. On mar/xx/96 and again on apr/xx/96, the airways facilities technicians assigned for duty on the day shift were unable to report for duty because of unexpected circumstances. The first was illness of the technician himself, the second was because of emergency family needs. In both of these cases, the airways facility manager chose not to assign another technician the duty, but instead left the facility without technician coverage. On the first day in question, there was a failure of the tower's d-brite radar system that required a technician be called in on overtime. When the work was done, the technician was sent home, leaving the remainder of the shift without coverage. On the second day, the technician in question advised the airways facilities manager the day before of the situation involving his wife (pregnancy complications) and the manager did not even tell the air traffic management about the lapse in coverage until the next morning, after the shift in question already began. This situation is especially critical around this time of yr because of thunderstorms (and subsequent outages/damage) that pop up out of nowhere. We continually tell air traffic management this is an unacceptable practice, but our cries are falling on deaf ears. If there is any way that someone outside the agency can make the point that pacer facilities (or those mandated to operate as pacer facilities) need continuous airways facilities coverage, it would be greatly appreciated. I will continue to advise you every time this happens.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RPTR IS CONCERNED WITH LACK OF AIRWAYS FACILITIES COVERAGE FOR RADAR EQUIP. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE RDU'S AIRWAYS FACILITIES MGR, ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, DID NOT SCHEDULE COVERAGE AFTER A TECHNICIAN COULD NOT RPT FOR DUTY. RPTR STATES THAT BECAUSE OF NO COVERAGE, ANOTHER TECHNICIAN HAD TO BE CALLED OUT FOR A D-BRITE FAILURE, BUT DEPARTED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED LEAVING THE FACILITY WITH NO COVERAGE AGAIN.

Narrative: THIS IS BEING FILED TO ADVISE OF A SIT THAT IS OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS BEING IGNORED, AND EVEN CONDONED, BY THE FAA. ON MAR/XX/96 AND AGAIN ON APR/XX/96, THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS ASSIGNED FOR DUTY ON THE DAY SHIFT WERE UNABLE TO RPT FOR DUTY BECAUSE OF UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES. THE FIRST WAS ILLNESS OF THE TECHNICIAN HIMSELF, THE SECOND WAS BECAUSE OF EMER FAMILY NEEDS. IN BOTH OF THESE CASES, THE AIRWAYS FACILITY MGR CHOSE NOT TO ASSIGN ANOTHER TECHNICIAN THE DUTY, BUT INSTEAD LEFT THE FACILITY WITHOUT TECHNICIAN COVERAGE. ON THE FIRST DAY IN QUESTION, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE TWR'S D-BRITE RADAR SYS THAT REQUIRED A TECHNICIAN BE CALLED IN ON OVERTIME. WHEN THE WORK WAS DONE, THE TECHNICIAN WAS SENT HOME, LEAVING THE REMAINDER OF THE SHIFT WITHOUT COVERAGE. ON THE SECOND DAY, THE TECHNICIAN IN QUESTION ADVISED THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES MGR THE DAY BEFORE OF THE SIT INVOLVING HIS WIFE (PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS) AND THE MGR DID NOT EVEN TELL THE AIR TFC MGMNT ABOUT THE LAPSE IN COVERAGE UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER THE SHIFT IN QUESTION ALREADY BEGAN. THIS SIT IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL AROUND THIS TIME OF YR BECAUSE OF TSTMS (AND SUBSEQUENT OUTAGES/DAMAGE) THAT POP UP OUT OF NOWHERE. WE CONTINUALLY TELL AIR TFC MGMNT THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICE, BUT OUR CRIES ARE FALLING ON DEAF EARS. IF THERE IS ANY WAY THAT SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE AGENCY CAN MAKE THE POINT THAT PACER FACILITIES (OR THOSE MANDATED TO OPERATE AS PACER FACILITIES) NEED CONTINUOUS AIRWAYS FACILITIES COVERAGE, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVISE YOU EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS.

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.