3 control tower position combined.

Attributes
ACN	571641
Time
Date	200301
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	571641
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	FAA
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : smf.tower staffing : smf.tower

Narrative:

Airport WX was at minimums with fog, about 1/4 mi visibility and 2000 ft RVR. Only 1 controller was working and controling 3 frequencys -- tower, ground, and clearance delivery. The controller was clearly overloaded and lost track of taxiing aircraft. Gave confusing taxi instructions. ATC understaffed for conditions at airport. Low IFR.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 3 CTL TWR POS COMBINED.

Narrative: ARPT WX WAS AT MINIMUMS WITH FOG, ABOUT 1/4 MI VISIBILITY AND 2000 FT RVR. ONLY 1 CTLR WAS WORKING AND CTLING 3 FREQS -- TWR, GND, AND CLRNC DELIVERY. THE CTLR WAS CLRLY OVERLOADED AND LOST TRACK OF TAXIING ACFT. GAVE CONFUSING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. ATC UNDERSTAFFED FOR CONDITIONS AT ARPT. LOW IFR.

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.