B757 crew concerned about low staffing level at sfo tower.

Attributes
ACN	430500
Time
Date	199903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	430500
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Situations
ATC Facility	staffing : sfo.tower

Narrative:

This morning in sfo, the tower was operating with 1 controller. He was doing clearance, pushback calls, ground control, and tower. The winds were such, or the situation was such, that the operation was: takeoff on runways 1R, 1L, and 10R, lndgs on runway 28R (intersecting runway operations). This resulted in the controller having to issue a different runway than the ATIS information, and a different SID than the pre departure clearance issued. With 1 controller performing this many tasks, it is an unsafe operation. His situational awareness was impaired. We had to do programming during taxi. I believe the problem arises from the government eliminating necessary public services. My suggestion for correcting the problem is to use some of the surplus funds to hire more controllers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW CONCERNED ABOUT LOW STAFFING LEVEL AT SFO TWR.

Narrative: THIS MORNING IN SFO, THE TWR WAS OPERATING WITH 1 CTLR. HE WAS DOING CLRNC, PUSHBACK CALLS, GND CTL, AND TWR. THE WINDS WERE SUCH, OR THE SIT WAS SUCH, THAT THE OP WAS: TKOF ON RWYS 1R, 1L, AND 10R, LNDGS ON RWY 28R (INTERSECTING RWY OPS). THIS RESULTED IN THE CTLR HAVING TO ISSUE A DIFFERENT RWY THAN THE ATIS INFO, AND A DIFFERENT SID THAN THE PDC ISSUED. WITH 1 CTLR PERFORMING THIS MANY TASKS, IT IS AN UNSAFE OP. HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS IMPAIRED. WE HAD TO DO PROGRAMMING DURING TAXI. I BELIEVE THE PROB ARISES FROM THE GOV ELIMINATING NECESSARY PUBLIC SVCS. MY SUGGESTION FOR CORRECTING THE PROB IS TO USE SOME OF THE SURPLUS FUNDS TO HIRE MORE CTLRS.

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.