Contract tower at akn has staffing problem.

Attributes
ACN	478729
Time
Date	200006
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : akn.tower
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local controller : flight data controller : clearance delivery controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 18
ASRS Report	478729
Events
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Airport ATC Human Performance ATC Facility Company
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	staffing : akn.tower
Airport	taxiway surface condition : akn.airport
Airspace Structure	class d : akn.d

Narrative:

King salmon is an airport ripe for an accident/deviation due to understaffed controllers. Akn tower will work 9000 operations in july with 3 fpl controllers. It is open 14 hours a day on an airport without any txwys. The controllers are working 10 hour days, most of it alone. This is a dangerous situation due to controller overload/fatigue and lack of facilities (txwys) at the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said akn has a total of 3 controllers to cover 7 14-hour shifts. Each controller works 4 10-hour and 1 8-HR shift each week. The facility has several instrument approachs and traffic includes several airline operators. He said the FAA is aware of the situation but has not done anything to help. He also said aircraft using the king salmon seaplane channel nearby must fly over akn. He said other contract towers in alaska have similar staffing and problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONTRACT TWR AT AKN HAS STAFFING PROB.

Narrative: KING SALMON IS AN ARPT RIPE FOR AN ACCIDENT/DEV DUE TO UNDERSTAFFED CTLRS. AKN TWR WILL WORK 9000 OPS IN JULY WITH 3 FPL CTLRS. IT IS OPEN 14 HRS A DAY ON AN ARPT WITHOUT ANY TXWYS. THE CTLRS ARE WORKING 10 HR DAYS, MOST OF IT ALONE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SIT DUE TO CTLR OVERLOAD/FATIGUE AND LACK OF FACILITIES (TXWYS) AT THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID AKN HAS A TOTAL OF 3 CTLRS TO COVER 7 14-HR SHIFTS. EACH CTLR WORKS 4 10-HR AND 1 8-HR SHIFT EACH WK. THE FACILITY HAS SEVERAL INST APCHS AND TFC INCLUDES SEVERAL AIRLINE OPERATORS. HE SAID THE FAA IS AWARE OF THE SIT BUT HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO HELP. HE ALSO SAID ACFT USING THE KING SALMON SEAPLANE CHANNEL NEARBY MUST FLY OVER AKN. HE SAID OTHER CONTRACT TWRS IN ALASKA HAVE SIMILAR STAFFING AND PROBS.

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.