Narrative:

Jen specialty at ZFW is approximately 360 mi long, 2 sectors is normal midnight confign. On mar/thu/02, mid-shift controller called in sick and overtime was not authority/authorized. All 6 NAS sectors were combined at ednas. Vscs frequencys and land lines were divided between ednas and aqn sectors. This created a congested dangerous sector as traffic built up. The controller that relieved me also lost frequencys as management attempted to reconfigure vscs for morning operation. Supplemental information from acn 540425: at XA30 I relieved the position, and the day shift supervisor instructed another controller to open the other 'normal' mid-shift sector. Since the confign we were in had never been used, no one was sure how to decombine/reopen the other 'normal' sector. It took 2 supervisors approximately 20-25 mins to accomplish this task. In the meantime, I was working approximately 15 aircraft using 2 handsets on 2 different position. Also the range necessary to see all of the involved airspace (from glen rose, tx to west of wink, tx, surface and above) was so large that the eastern half of the sector had to be quick-loaded on an adjacent scope to monitor in-trail spacing into dfw approach control. The osic entered a message to try and reconfigure vscs at the original position. This resulted in the loss of frequencys for 3 of my 6 sectors. Eventually we returned to our normal mid-shift confign, but the transition was total chaos. This situation could very easily have led to an operational error/operational deviation. This entire situation was caused because facility management would not authority/authorized overtime to adequately staff our specialty on a mid-shift, which led to an unsafe sector confign.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR CONCERNED WITH SECTOR CONFIGN DURING THE MID-SHIFT DUE TO CTLR SICK LEAVE.

Narrative: JEN SPECIALTY AT ZFW IS APPROX 360 MI LONG, 2 SECTORS IS NORMAL MIDNIGHT CONFIGN. ON MAR/THU/02, MID-SHIFT CTLR CALLED IN SICK AND OVERTIME WAS NOT AUTH. ALL 6 NAS SECTORS WERE COMBINED AT EDNAS. VSCS FREQS AND LAND LINES WERE DIVIDED BTWN EDNAS AND AQN SECTORS. THIS CREATED A CONGESTED DANGEROUS SECTOR AS TFC BUILT UP. THE CTLR THAT RELIEVED ME ALSO LOST FREQS AS MGMNT ATTEMPTED TO RECONFIGURE VSCS FOR MORNING OP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540425: AT XA30 I RELIEVED THE POS, AND THE DAY SHIFT SUPVR INSTRUCTED ANOTHER CTLR TO OPEN THE OTHER 'NORMAL' MID-SHIFT SECTOR. SINCE THE CONFIGN WE WERE IN HAD NEVER BEEN USED, NO ONE WAS SURE HOW TO DECOMBINE/REOPEN THE OTHER 'NORMAL' SECTOR. IT TOOK 2 SUPVRS APPROX 20-25 MINS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK. IN THE MEANTIME, I WAS WORKING APPROX 15 ACFT USING 2 HANDSETS ON 2 DIFFERENT POS. ALSO THE RANGE NECESSARY TO SEE ALL OF THE INVOLVED AIRSPACE (FROM GLEN ROSE, TX TO W OF WINK, TX, SURFACE AND ABOVE) WAS SO LARGE THAT THE EASTERN HALF OF THE SECTOR HAD TO BE QUICK-LOADED ON AN ADJACENT SCOPE TO MONITOR IN-TRAIL SPACING INTO DFW APCH CTL. THE OSIC ENTERED A MESSAGE TO TRY AND RECONFIGURE VSCS AT THE ORIGINAL POS. THIS RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF FREQS FOR 3 OF MY 6 SECTORS. EVENTUALLY WE RETURNED TO OUR NORMAL MID-SHIFT CONFIGN, BUT THE TRANSITION WAS TOTAL CHAOS. THIS SIT COULD VERY EASILY HAVE LED TO AN OPERROR/OPDEV. THIS ENTIRE SIT WAS CAUSED BECAUSE FACILITY MGMNT WOULD NOT AUTH OVERTIME TO ADEQUATELY STAFF OUR SPECIALTY ON A MID-SHIFT, WHICH LED TO AN UNSAFE SECTOR CONFIGN.

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.