Tower controller complaint about lack of staffing in the tower.

Attributes
ACN	393575
Time
Date	199802
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6
ASRS Report	393575
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Due to 2 operrors in the summer of 1997, there was a change made to our SOP. We have 3 local control position -- local west, local east, and local helicopters. Local helicopters is often combined with local west, making for an extremely complex and difficult situation when there are numerous helicopters and fixed wings operating in the boston bravo. 2 operrors happened due to lack of separation between departures and transitions when west and helicopters were combined. Now the SOP dictates local helicopters shall be staffed XA45-XD00 and XK00-XM00 local mon-fri as well as XK00-XM00 sunday. These are typically busy times, especially with traffic reporting helicopters and fixed wings. Due to poor staffing, local helicopters is often not staffed as demanded by the SOP. This results in an unsafe situation of a controller working 2 position that need to be decombined as the facility directs. There were 6 fpl's only on this day and helicopters were not staffed until a staff support specialist was brought in to work it. Often it simply goes unstaffed despite the SOP and despite the 2 operrors that were caused by combining them. When fpl's are out on leave (sick, annual) they need to be replaced. Working short staffed compromises safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT LACK OF STAFFING IN THE TWR.

Narrative: DUE TO 2 OPERRORS IN THE SUMMER OF 1997, THERE WAS A CHANGE MADE TO OUR SOP. WE HAVE 3 LCL CTL POS -- LCL W, LCL E, AND LCL HELIS. LCL HELIS IS OFTEN COMBINED WITH LCL W, MAKING FOR AN EXTREMELY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT SIT WHEN THERE ARE NUMEROUS HELIS AND FIXED WINGS OPERATING IN THE BOSTON BRAVO. 2 OPERRORS HAPPENED DUE TO LACK OF SEPARATION BTWN DEPS AND TRANSITIONS WHEN W AND HELIS WERE COMBINED. NOW THE SOP DICTATES LCL HELIS SHALL BE STAFFED XA45-XD00 AND XK00-XM00 LCL MON-FRI AS WELL AS XK00-XM00 SUNDAY. THESE ARE TYPICALLY BUSY TIMES, ESPECIALLY WITH TFC RPTING HELIS AND FIXED WINGS. DUE TO POOR STAFFING, LCL HELIS IS OFTEN NOT STAFFED AS DEMANDED BY THE SOP. THIS RESULTS IN AN UNSAFE SIT OF A CTLR WORKING 2 POS THAT NEED TO BE DECOMBINED AS THE FACILITY DIRECTS. THERE WERE 6 FPL'S ONLY ON THIS DAY AND HELIS WERE NOT STAFFED UNTIL A STAFF SUPPORT SPECIALIST WAS BROUGHT IN TO WORK IT. OFTEN IT SIMPLY GOES UNSTAFFED DESPITE THE SOP AND DESPITE THE 2 OPERRORS THAT WERE CAUSED BY COMBINING THEM. WHEN FPL'S ARE OUT ON LEAVE (SICK, ANNUAL) THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. WORKING SHORT STAFFED COMPROMISES SAFETY.

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.