Narrative:

I came into work at XA00, and began working sector 47. 4 other sectors were open, for a total of 5 active sectors in the area. Sector 47 was also staffed by my supervisor, as the radar associate, or 'D side.' my sector had 2 'full bays' of flight plans (approximately 36 flight plans) and approximately 15-18 aircraft being worked in the sector. Shortly after XB00, 2 other controllers working other sectors, asked for help with their sectors, by requesting 'D side controllers.' my supervisor responded by saying that if it was all right with me, he was going to leave me alone on the sector (with 15+ contacts and 36 flight plans). I gave him a questioning look, but he's my supervisor and I didn't feel comfortable going against him, so I said ok. He then instructed the controller who had been acting as supervisor (controller in charge) to assume one of the 'D sides' that had been requested. He then (my supervisor) walked out of the area to attend the management 'stand-up' briefing, which is conducted at the beginning of each shift. This action left the area with me and another in need of 'D side' help, and absolutely no supervisor to turn to in the event of equipment outage or aircraft emergency. To prevent a reoccurrence, I propose mandating that supervisors not leave an area unsupervised. If no 'controller in charge' is available, then the supervisor stays in the area, and misses 'stand-up briefing.' any pertinent information can be briefed to the supervisor by the area manager or his/her designated representative, at the conclusion of 'stand-up.' not being able to staff the position is a result of salt lake management's unwillingness to use overtime to ensure adequate staffing. There are facilities in this country that schedule mandatory overtime (6 day work weeks). Our management complains that they don't have the money for overtime. A whole bunch of people went home at XB00, and they could have been held over for overtime. At XA45, the flight plans were at the sector, indicating how busy the sector was going to be at XB05, yet management lets these people leave. This is a chronic problem that's going to get even more dangerous as we move into the thunderstorm season, and operations get more complex.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZLC CTLR CONCERNED WITH SECTOR AREA STAFFING.

Narrative: I CAME INTO WORK AT XA00, AND BEGAN WORKING SECTOR 47. 4 OTHER SECTORS WERE OPEN, FOR A TOTAL OF 5 ACTIVE SECTORS IN THE AREA. SECTOR 47 WAS ALSO STAFFED BY MY SUPVR, AS THE RADAR ASSOCIATE, OR 'D SIDE.' MY SECTOR HAD 2 'FULL BAYS' OF FLT PLANS (APPROX 36 FLT PLANS) AND APPROX 15-18 ACFT BEING WORKED IN THE SECTOR. SHORTLY AFTER XB00, 2 OTHER CTLRS WORKING OTHER SECTORS, ASKED FOR HELP WITH THEIR SECTORS, BY REQUESTING 'D SIDE CTLRS.' MY SUPVR RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT IF IT WAS ALL RIGHT WITH ME, HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE ME ALONE ON THE SECTOR (WITH 15+ CONTACTS AND 36 FLT PLANS). I GAVE HIM A QUESTIONING LOOK, BUT HE'S MY SUPVR AND I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING AGAINST HIM, SO I SAID OK. HE THEN INSTRUCTED THE CTLR WHO HAD BEEN ACTING AS SUPVR (CTLR IN CHARGE) TO ASSUME ONE OF THE 'D SIDES' THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED. HE THEN (MY SUPVR) WALKED OUT OF THE AREA TO ATTEND THE MGMNT 'STAND-UP' BRIEFING, WHICH IS CONDUCTED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SHIFT. THIS ACTION LEFT THE AREA WITH ME AND ANOTHER IN NEED OF 'D SIDE' HELP, AND ABSOLUTELY NO SUPVR TO TURN TO IN THE EVENT OF EQUIP OUTAGE OR ACFT EMER. TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE, I PROPOSE MANDATING THAT SUPVRS NOT LEAVE AN AREA UNSUPERVISED. IF NO 'CTLR IN CHARGE' IS AVAILABLE, THEN THE SUPVR STAYS IN THE AREA, AND MISSES 'STAND-UP BRIEFING.' ANY PERTINENT INFO CAN BE BRIEFED TO THE SUPVR BY THE AREA MGR OR HIS/HER DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE, AT THE CONCLUSION OF 'STAND-UP.' NOT BEING ABLE TO STAFF THE POS IS A RESULT OF SALT LAKE MGMNT'S UNWILLINGNESS TO USE OVERTIME TO ENSURE ADEQUATE STAFFING. THERE ARE FACILITIES IN THIS COUNTRY THAT SCHEDULE MANDATORY OVERTIME (6 DAY WORK WEEKS). OUR MGMNT COMPLAINS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR OVERTIME. A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WENT HOME AT XB00, AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HELD OVER FOR OVERTIME. AT XA45, THE FLT PLANS WERE AT THE SECTOR, INDICATING HOW BUSY THE SECTOR WAS GOING TO BE AT XB05, YET MGMNT LETS THESE PEOPLE LEAVE. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROB THAT'S GOING TO GET EVEN MORE DANGEROUS AS WE MOVE INTO THE TSTM SEASON, AND OPS GET MORE COMPLEX.

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.