Dtw controller concerned with management resources and utilization of workforce procedures.

Attributes
ACN	476864
Time
Date	200006
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtw.tower
State Reference	MI
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 14 controller military : 4 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	476864
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : dtw.tower staffing : dtw.tower

Narrative:

This is not a safety issue yet. But upper management in the FAA is so concerned about covering their butts over delays, that they have the supervisors neglecting their normal duties. If supervisors do not report a delay as soon as it happens they get their butts chewed out. They are supposed to keep an eye on traffic flows and the controllers. Now they have become 'bean counters.' if the supervisors were left alone to do their job, the delays might go down. They are not able to keep an eye on the traffic, because they have to log every minute of delays. It is getting out of hand. The FAA has too many experts micro-managing traffic. They assume that controllers can't work out traffic flaws between themselves. That is why we are in so many delays. Tell the FAA to put accountants in the control towers to keep track of delays. Let the supervisors and the controllers do their jobs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DTW CTLR CONCERNED WITH MGMNT RESOURCES AND UTILIZATION OF WORKFORCE PROCS.

Narrative: THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE YET. BUT UPPER MGMNT IN THE FAA IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT COVERING THEIR BUTTS OVER DELAYS, THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPVRS NEGLECTING THEIR NORMAL DUTIES. IF SUPVRS DO NOT RPT A DELAY AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS THEY GET THEIR BUTTS CHEWED OUT. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP AN EYE ON TFC FLOWS AND THE CTLRS. NOW THEY HAVE BECOME 'BEAN COUNTERS.' IF THE SUPVRS WERE LEFT ALONE TO DO THEIR JOB, THE DELAYS MIGHT GO DOWN. THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE TFC, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LOG EVERY MINUTE OF DELAYS. IT IS GETTING OUT OF HAND. THE FAA HAS TOO MANY EXPERTS MICRO-MANAGING TFC. THEY ASSUME THAT CTLRS CAN'T WORK OUT TFC FLAWS BTWN THEMSELVES. THAT IS WHY WE ARE IN SO MANY DELAYS. TELL THE FAA TO PUT ACCOUNTANTS IN THE CTL TWRS TO KEEP TRACK OF DELAYS. LET THE SUPVRS AND THE CTLRS DO THEIR JOBS.

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.