Narrative:

Beginning mar/xa/01 a commercial air carrier cargo company began an early morning package sort that begins at XA00 at ind. There is insufficient staffing in place to handle the extra 40 flts. An operational error is imminent due to lack of appropriate staffing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the initial coordination by the air carrier cargo company 6 months prior to implementation sounded good to all concerned. The cargo company was initiating a new service that allowed a later package pickup and xfer. Cargo aircraft would be expected to start showing up at the end of the normal departure push. Since it was a new service, stop points did not have pickups, thus stop points were bypassed, and the cargo aircraft were showing up 40 mins early -- in the middle of the departure push. The tower/TRACON did not have sufficient personnel to cope with this time adjustment, and 34-38 aircraft ended up within 30 mi of the airport. Ind tower/TRACON specialists coordination their concern with the cargo company and they adjusted their times approximately 25 mins. 2 additional controllers were added to staffing. The reporter stated that ZID and ZAU were also impacted, especially during adverse WX, and route changes/traffic management were needed to be re-established for the midshift, as it was required during the day shift. The reporter is hoping for further traffic management procedures to be clarified within the next 30 days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IND CTLR CONCERNED WITH FACILITY STAFFING AS ACR CARGO COMPANY INCREASES MORE FLT ACTIVITY DURING THE CTLR'S MIDSHIFT.

Narrative: BEGINNING MAR/XA/01 A COMMERCIAL ACR CARGO COMPANY BEGAN AN EARLY MORNING PACKAGE SORT THAT BEGINS AT XA00 AT IND. THERE IS INSUFFICIENT STAFFING IN PLACE TO HANDLE THE EXTRA 40 FLTS. AN OPERROR IS IMMINENT DUE TO LACK OF APPROPRIATE STAFFING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE INITIAL COORD BY THE ACR CARGO COMPANY 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION SOUNDED GOOD TO ALL CONCERNED. THE CARGO COMPANY WAS INITIATING A NEW SVC THAT ALLOWED A LATER PACKAGE PICKUP AND XFER. CARGO ACFT WOULD BE EXPECTED TO START SHOWING UP AT THE END OF THE NORMAL DEP PUSH. SINCE IT WAS A NEW SVC, STOP POINTS DID NOT HAVE PICKUPS, THUS STOP POINTS WERE BYPASSED, AND THE CARGO ACFT WERE SHOWING UP 40 MINS EARLY -- IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEP PUSH. THE TWR/TRACON DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL TO COPE WITH THIS TIME ADJUSTMENT, AND 34-38 ACFT ENDED UP WITHIN 30 MI OF THE ARPT. IND TWR/TRACON SPECIALISTS COORD THEIR CONCERN WITH THE CARGO COMPANY AND THEY ADJUSTED THEIR TIMES APPROX 25 MINS. 2 ADDITIONAL CTLRS WERE ADDED TO STAFFING. THE RPTR STATED THAT ZID AND ZAU WERE ALSO IMPACTED, ESPECIALLY DURING ADVERSE WX, AND RTE CHANGES/TFC MGMNT WERE NEEDED TO BE RE-ESTABLISHED FOR THE MIDSHIFT, AS IT WAS REQUIRED DURING THE DAY SHIFT. THE RPTR IS HOPING FOR FURTHER TFC MGMNT PROCS TO BE CLARIFIED WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.

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.