Narrative:

On apr/xx/97, sector 34 was being one-holed during a moderate to heavy rush of traffic. ZLA sector 34 rdp density chart shows from XU50Z to XX06Z the controller had at the most, track control of 6-8 aircraft. Between XX08Z to XY20Z, the number of aircraft being worked had climbed to 10-13. Sector 34 enters a red status at 15 aircraft. Why wasn't a controller put in on the d- side to help with the workload encountered at this sector? This facility has had 2 operrors in the last few months because a controller was one-holing a busy sector. These operrors have occurred because it is a common practice in la/ARTCC to one-hole sectors as much as possible. In some instances, the supervisor waits until a controller has to yell that they need assistance before any action is taken. It would seem appropriate to put a controller on the d-side for a few mins to help ensure the integrity of the sector. It would be highly inappropriate to have an operational error and then figure out a d-side could have helped prevent the error. The practice of one-holing a sector with moderate to heavy traffic is unsafe and unacceptable. Supplemental information from acn 383308: on apr/xx/97, sector 16 was being one-holed during a moderate to heavy rush of traffic. ZLA sector 16 rdp density chart shows during a 15 min period from XY11Z to XY26Z the controller had been working 9 aircraft continuously and during 7 mins of the 15 min period the controller was working 10-11 aircraft continuously. During a 31 min period between XY29Z to XZ00Z, the controller worked 8 aircraft continuously. During 17 mins of this period the controller worked 10 aircraft continuously with the workload peaking at 13 aircraft. During this 49 min period the controller had worked 37 aircraft. During 24 mins of this period the controller worked 10 aircraft continuously with the workload peaking at 13 aircraft. Note -- the sector was one-holed until XY58Z. Why wasn't a controller put in on the d-side to help with the workload encountered at this sector? Why is a controller allowed to work this much traffic without a d-side? This facility has had 2 operrors in the last few months because a controller was one-holing a busy sector. These operrors have occurred because it is a common practice in la/ARTCC to one-hole sectors as much as possible. In some instances, the supervisor waits until a controller has to yell that they need assistance before any action is taken. It would seem appropriate to put a controller on the d-side for a few mins to help ensure the integrity of the sector. It would be highly inappropriate to have an operational error and then figure out a d-side could have helped prevent the error. The practice of one-holing a sector with moderate to heavy traffic is unsafe and unacceptable

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ARTCC RADAR CTLR CLAIMS THAT FLOW CTL DID NOT PROPERLY REDUCE TFC FLOW TRANSITING SECTOR AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/97, SECTOR 34 WAS BEING ONE-HOLED DURING A MODERATE TO HVY RUSH OF TFC. ZLA SECTOR 34 RDP DENSITY CHART SHOWS FROM XU50Z TO XX06Z THE CTLR HAD AT THE MOST, TRACK CTL OF 6-8 ACFT. BTWN XX08Z TO XY20Z, THE NUMBER OF ACFT BEING WORKED HAD CLBED TO 10-13. SECTOR 34 ENTERS A RED STATUS AT 15 ACFT. WHY WASN'T A CTLR PUT IN ON THE D- SIDE TO HELP WITH THE WORKLOAD ENCOUNTERED AT THIS SECTOR? THIS FACILITY HAS HAD 2 OPERRORS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS BECAUSE A CTLR WAS ONE-HOLING A BUSY SECTOR. THESE OPERRORS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN LA/ARTCC TO ONE-HOLE SECTORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IN SOME INSTANCES, THE SUPVR WAITS UNTIL A CTLR HAS TO YELL THAT THEY NEED ASSISTANCE BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN. IT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE TO PUT A CTLR ON THE D-SIDE FOR A FEW MINS TO HELP ENSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THE SECTOR. IT WOULD BE HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE AN OPERROR AND THEN FIGURE OUT A D-SIDE COULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THE ERROR. THE PRACTICE OF ONE-HOLING A SECTOR WITH MODERATE TO HVY TFC IS UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 383308: ON APR/XX/97, SECTOR 16 WAS BEING ONE-HOLED DURING A MODERATE TO HVY RUSH OF TFC. ZLA SECTOR 16 RDP DENSITY CHART SHOWS DURING A 15 MIN PERIOD FROM XY11Z TO XY26Z THE CTLR HAD BEEN WORKING 9 ACFT CONTINUOUSLY AND DURING 7 MINS OF THE 15 MIN PERIOD THE CTLR WAS WORKING 10-11 ACFT CONTINUOUSLY. DURING A 31 MIN PERIOD BTWN XY29Z TO XZ00Z, THE CTLR WORKED 8 ACFT CONTINUOUSLY. DURING 17 MINS OF THIS PERIOD THE CTLR WORKED 10 ACFT CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE WORKLOAD PEAKING AT 13 ACFT. DURING THIS 49 MIN PERIOD THE CTLR HAD WORKED 37 ACFT. DURING 24 MINS OF THIS PERIOD THE CTLR WORKED 10 ACFT CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE WORKLOAD PEAKING AT 13 ACFT. NOTE -- THE SECTOR WAS ONE-HOLED UNTIL XY58Z. WHY WASN'T A CTLR PUT IN ON THE D-SIDE TO HELP WITH THE WORKLOAD ENCOUNTERED AT THIS SECTOR? WHY IS A CTLR ALLOWED TO WORK THIS MUCH TFC WITHOUT A D-SIDE? THIS FACILITY HAS HAD 2 OPERRORS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS BECAUSE A CTLR WAS ONE-HOLING A BUSY SECTOR. THESE OPERRORS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN LA/ARTCC TO ONE-HOLE SECTORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IN SOME INSTANCES, THE SUPVR WAITS UNTIL A CTLR HAS TO YELL THAT THEY NEED ASSISTANCE BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN. IT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE TO PUT A CTLR ON THE D-SIDE FOR A FEW MINS TO HELP ENSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THE SECTOR. IT WOULD BE HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE AN OPERROR AND THEN FIGURE OUT A D-SIDE COULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THE ERROR. THE PRACTICE OF ONE-HOLING A SECTOR WITH MODERATE TO HVY TFC IS UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE

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.