Narrative:

I was assigned a radar-associate position for my last 45 mins of the shift, traffic complexity did not necessitate this position. The radar controller fell asleep several times while we were there. He would awake after falling forward or if sitting back, when an aircraft called or someone spoke to him (myself, many times). At one point, he issued an altitude change to an aircraft to descend through the flight path of another aircraft. The descent rate needed to be monitored to ensure separation. The radar controller fell asleep before separation was achieved. At one point, another controller on the same crew as the radar controller noticed him sleeping and said 'wake up.' the radar controller then explained that he was taking medication that made him drowsy the first few days he took it. I asked incredulously if this was approved and he said yes. He said it was difficult for him to drive to work without falling asleep. He commutes from another city. When a controller came to relieve both of us, me to leave for the day, radar controller for a break, I advised the supervisor for the area that the controller had been nodding off continuously at the sector and that a safety issue was definitely involved. Traffic was minimal while we were at the sector, I had access to the frequencys and safety was not compromised. I did look for the supervisor when I first realized this controller couldn't stay awake but he was not available, so I did not take action prior to getting relieved from the sector. I would not have left the sector alone with this controller. No action was taken prior to my leaving the facility. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that she was unaware of any outcome on the incident because of being on vacation. Reporter has heard rumors about other controller complaints about the individual which occurred about a week after this report. Reporter is aware that the individual on one occasion was instructing on the 'a' side involving the computer strips.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SIT OF A CTR RADAR CTLR FALLING ASLEEP AT THE POS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN A 45 MIN PERIOD INCLUDING A PERIOD WHEN A DSCNT CLRNC TO AN ACFT REQUIRED MONITORING FOR SEPARATION FROM ANOTHER ACFT. THE RPTR, WORKING WITH CTLR, ALLEGES THE CTLR WAS TAKING APPROVED MEDICATION.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED A RADAR-ASSOCIATE POS FOR MY LAST 45 MINS OF THE SHIFT, TFC COMPLEXITY DID NOT NECESSITATE THIS POS. THE RADAR CTLR FELL ASLEEP SEVERAL TIMES WHILE WE WERE THERE. HE WOULD AWAKE AFTER FALLING FORWARD OR IF SITTING BACK, WHEN AN ACFT CALLED OR SOMEONE SPOKE TO HIM (MYSELF, MANY TIMES). AT ONE POINT, HE ISSUED AN ALT CHANGE TO AN ACFT TO DSND THROUGH THE FLT PATH OF ANOTHER ACFT. THE DSCNT RATE NEEDED TO BE MONITORED TO ENSURE SEPARATION. THE RADAR CTLR FELL ASLEEP BEFORE SEPARATION WAS ACHIEVED. AT ONE POINT, ANOTHER CTLR ON THE SAME CREW AS THE RADAR CTLR NOTICED HIM SLEEPING AND SAID 'WAKE UP.' THE RADAR CTLR THEN EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS TAKING MEDICATION THAT MADE HIM DROWSY THE FIRST FEW DAYS HE TOOK IT. I ASKED INCREDULOUSLY IF THIS WAS APPROVED AND HE SAID YES. HE SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO DRIVE TO WORK WITHOUT FALLING ASLEEP. HE COMMUTES FROM ANOTHER CITY. WHEN A CTLR CAME TO RELIEVE BOTH OF US, ME TO LEAVE FOR THE DAY, RADAR CTLR FOR A BREAK, I ADVISED THE SUPVR FOR THE AREA THAT THE CTLR HAD BEEN NODDING OFF CONTINUOUSLY AT THE SECTOR AND THAT A SAFETY ISSUE WAS DEFINITELY INVOLVED. TFC WAS MINIMAL WHILE WE WERE AT THE SECTOR, I HAD ACCESS TO THE FREQS AND SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. I DID LOOK FOR THE SUPVR WHEN I FIRST REALIZED THIS CTLR COULDN'T STAY AWAKE BUT HE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, SO I DID NOT TAKE ACTION PRIOR TO GETTING RELIEVED FROM THE SECTOR. I WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT THE SECTOR ALONE WITH THIS CTLR. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN PRIOR TO MY LEAVING THE FACILITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT SHE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY OUTCOME ON THE INCIDENT BECAUSE OF BEING ON VACATION. RPTR HAS HEARD RUMORS ABOUT OTHER CTLR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL WHICH OCCURRED ABOUT A WK AFTER THIS RPT. RPTR IS AWARE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL ON ONE OCCASION WAS INSTRUCTING ON THE 'A' SIDE INVOLVING THE COMPUTER STRIPS.

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.