Narrative:

I was instructing an experienced controller that had been decertified and was trying to get training hours to recertify. Our heaviest traffic of the day usually occurs between xa:30 am and about xc:15 am. Our staffing numbers were extremely low -- 2 cpc's in the TRACON with 1 acting as controller in charge as there were no supervisors working and 2 cpc's in the tower with 1 as the tower controller in charge -- combined with ground control and clearance delivery. I had been instructed to work with the decertified controller to get them time for training so that they could recertify. We normally have 1 supervisor at xa:00 am and 2-3 controllers in the TRACON. Usual tower staffing is 3 controllers at xa:00 am with several more arriving by xb:00 am in both the tower and TRACON. At xa:30 am; the tower called and requested we terminate training to send the extra controller to the tower as they were getting very busy with clrncs; rertes; ground stops; etc; and a third controller for the tower would not arrive until at least xb:00 am. That left myself and the acting controller in charge in the TRACON. By xa:45 am; my tab list had 42 aircraft in it and we would not receive another controller until the xb:00 am shift arrived. I requested the controller in charge to split out the radar into 2 position and requested that he work west and satellite south radar while I continued to work east and satellite north radar. As soon as he opened up; both of us promptly became busy with not only mci departures; but satellite VFR and IFR arrs and departures. Having 3 controllers working 3 position in the TRACON as well as west radar; satellite south radar; arrival data; as well as running the floor; while I was working east radar and satellite north radar. It could have been possible for me to work the entire radar operations by myself during the busiest period of our day; but it would have been detrimental to the users as I probably would have had to stop departures to keep up with the traffic and to ensure that I was able to hear all the xmissions that I would be receiving on 4 of our main frequencys. As it was; the tower controllers were aware of our situation in the TRACON and were spacing out our departures more than necessary than if we had had at least 2 if not 3 radar position open. I feel that this lack of staffing could have very quickly become a safety issue and after 21 yrs of working in the mci TRACON; I was very uncomfortable with the unfolding situation. This lack of staffing continued for most of my shift as we were short to start with and there had been a couple of controllers take sick leave that made the staffing even more critical. With only 1 fpl supervisor scheduled for the shift; and he was out on business; it was necessary to staff the si position with a controller for the majority of the day. Later; a supervisor's meeting had been scheduled. In order to get controllers out for lunch breaks; it became necessary for us to combine up the satellite radar position with east and west radars as well as combining the arrival data position to the si position. Several times during the day; it probably would have been prudent to have the final radar position open as well; but we did not have the staffing to do such. As I left for the day and passed the controller in charge position on to a fellow controller; we were having landline problems with 2 of our satellite airports and it was necessary to coordination with them via the outside telephone lines. This necessitated the controller in charge coordinating with satellite radar and the satellite facilities. Much of this was being done while the si position was combined with arrival data as well. It took some creative break scheduling to ensure that the controllers that were scheduled to go home were relieved at the appropriate time; hence further contributing to the derogation of safety in the operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING STANDARDS.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTING AN EXPERIENCED CTLR THAT HAD BEEN DECERTIFIED AND WAS TRYING TO GET TRAINING HRS TO RECERTIFY. OUR HEAVIEST TFC OF THE DAY USUALLY OCCURS BTWN XA:30 AM AND ABOUT XC:15 AM. OUR STAFFING NUMBERS WERE EXTREMELY LOW -- 2 CPC'S IN THE TRACON WITH 1 ACTING AS CIC AS THERE WERE NO SUPVRS WORKING AND 2 CPC'S IN THE TWR WITH 1 AS THE TWR CIC -- COMBINED WITH GND CTL AND CLRNC DELIVERY. I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO WORK WITH THE DECERTIFIED CTLR TO GET THEM TIME FOR TRAINING SO THAT THEY COULD RECERTIFY. WE NORMALLY HAVE 1 SUPVR AT XA:00 AM AND 2-3 CTLRS IN THE TRACON. USUAL TWR STAFFING IS 3 CTLRS AT XA:00 AM WITH SEVERAL MORE ARRIVING BY XB:00 AM IN BOTH THE TWR AND TRACON. AT XA:30 AM; THE TWR CALLED AND REQUESTED WE TERMINATE TRAINING TO SEND THE EXTRA CTLR TO THE TWR AS THEY WERE GETTING VERY BUSY WITH CLRNCS; RERTES; GND STOPS; ETC; AND A THIRD CTLR FOR THE TWR WOULD NOT ARRIVE UNTIL AT LEAST XB:00 AM. THAT LEFT MYSELF AND THE ACTING CIC IN THE TRACON. BY XA:45 AM; MY TAB LIST HAD 42 ACFT IN IT AND WE WOULD NOT RECEIVE ANOTHER CTLR UNTIL THE XB:00 AM SHIFT ARRIVED. I REQUESTED THE CIC TO SPLIT OUT THE RADAR INTO 2 POS AND REQUESTED THAT HE WORK W AND SATELLITE S RADAR WHILE I CONTINUED TO WORK E AND SATELLITE N RADAR. AS SOON AS HE OPENED UP; BOTH OF US PROMPTLY BECAME BUSY WITH NOT ONLY MCI DEPS; BUT SATELLITE VFR AND IFR ARRS AND DEPS. HAVING 3 CTLRS WORKING 3 POS IN THE TRACON AS WELL AS W RADAR; SATELLITE S RADAR; ARR DATA; AS WELL AS RUNNING THE FLOOR; WHILE I WAS WORKING E RADAR AND SATELLITE N RADAR. IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE FOR ME TO WORK THE ENTIRE RADAR OPS BY MYSELF DURING THE BUSIEST PERIOD OF OUR DAY; BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO THE USERS AS I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD TO STOP DEPS TO KEEP UP WITH THE TFC AND TO ENSURE THAT I WAS ABLE TO HEAR ALL THE XMISSIONS THAT I WOULD BE RECEIVING ON 4 OF OUR MAIN FREQS. AS IT WAS; THE TWR CTLRS WERE AWARE OF OUR SITUATION IN THE TRACON AND WERE SPACING OUT OUR DEPS MORE THAN NECESSARY THAN IF WE HAD HAD AT LEAST 2 IF NOT 3 RADAR POS OPEN. I FEEL THAT THIS LACK OF STAFFING COULD HAVE VERY QUICKLY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE AND AFTER 21 YRS OF WORKING IN THE MCI TRACON; I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE UNFOLDING SITUATION. THIS LACK OF STAFFING CONTINUED FOR MOST OF MY SHIFT AS WE WERE SHORT TO START WITH AND THERE HAD BEEN A COUPLE OF CTLRS TAKE SICK LEAVE THAT MADE THE STAFFING EVEN MORE CRITICAL. WITH ONLY 1 FPL SUPVR SCHEDULED FOR THE SHIFT; AND HE WAS OUT ON BUSINESS; IT WAS NECESSARY TO STAFF THE SI POS WITH A CTLR FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY. LATER; A SUPVR'S MEETING HAD BEEN SCHEDULED. IN ORDER TO GET CTLRS OUT FOR LUNCH BREAKS; IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR US TO COMBINE UP THE SATELLITE RADAR POS WITH E AND W RADARS AS WELL AS COMBINING THE ARR DATA POS TO THE SI POS. SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY; IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT TO HAVE THE FINAL RADAR POS OPEN AS WELL; BUT WE DID NOT HAVE THE STAFFING TO DO SUCH. AS I LEFT FOR THE DAY AND PASSED THE CIC POS ON TO A FELLOW CTLR; WE WERE HAVING LANDLINE PROBS WITH 2 OF OUR SATELLITE ARPTS AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO COORD WITH THEM VIA THE OUTSIDE TELEPHONE LINES. THIS NECESSITATED THE CIC COORDINATING WITH SATELLITE RADAR AND THE SATELLITE FACILITIES. MUCH OF THIS WAS BEING DONE WHILE THE SI POS WAS COMBINED WITH ARR DATA AS WELL. IT TOOK SOME CREATIVE BREAK SCHEDULING TO ENSURE THAT THE CTLRS THAT WERE SCHEDULED TO GO HOME WERE RELIEVED AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME; HENCE FURTHER CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEROGATION OF SAFETY IN THE OP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.