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Tower controller at iad worked a 2 hour period during the late night shift without a second controller in the tower cabin attendant.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 708307 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200608 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : iad.tower |
| State Reference | VA |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : combined local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 5 controller radar : 5 |
| ASRS Report | 708307 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : supervisor |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : iad.tower staffing : iad.tower |
Narrative:
I was forced to work the late night shift at iad tower by myself for 2 hours. I asked the supervisor if they had called anyone in on overtime to cover the entire shift. He replied that the operations manager had decided to give the person that was working the previous shift 2 hours of overtime on the back side of their shift to cover until XA00. They also gave the person that was assigned a later shift 2 hours of overtime to come in at XC00. This then forced me to work the late night shift at iad by myself. I felt that this was a crazy thing to have only 1 person working in the tower. I mean this in iad tower. One of the 5 busiest airports in the country and iad management is trying to save 2 hours of overtime on a shift. The late night shift is slower than the others by far. Though if I had to guess; I probably worked 6 air carrier's; 10 air taxies and 3 or 4 GA aircraft during those 2 hours. I am often working 4 or 5 aircraft at one time. I have maintenance aircraft that are unfamiliar with the airport taxiing that often make wrong turns. I have departures taxiing out. Arrs inbound. Issuing flight plans. The airport is opening and closing the runways on every late night shift. Rerouting departures flight plans. Not to mention the administrative duties like counting flight strips by hand.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TWR CTLR AT IAD WORKED A 2 HR PERIOD DURING THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT WITHOUT A SECOND CTLR IN THE TWR CAB.
Narrative: I WAS FORCED TO WORK THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT AT IAD TWR BY MYSELF FOR 2 HRS. I ASKED THE SUPVR IF THEY HAD CALLED ANYONE IN ON OVERTIME TO COVER THE ENTIRE SHIFT. HE REPLIED THAT THE OPS MGR HAD DECIDED TO GIVE THE PERSON THAT WAS WORKING THE PREVIOUS SHIFT 2 HRS OF OVERTIME ON THE BACK SIDE OF THEIR SHIFT TO COVER UNTIL XA00. THEY ALSO GAVE THE PERSON THAT WAS ASSIGNED A LATER SHIFT 2 HRS OF OVERTIME TO COME IN AT XC00. THIS THEN FORCED ME TO WORK THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT AT IAD BY MYSELF. I FELT THAT THIS WAS A CRAZY THING TO HAVE ONLY 1 PERSON WORKING IN THE TWR. I MEAN THIS IN IAD TWR. ONE OF THE 5 BUSIEST ARPTS IN THE COUNTRY AND IAD MGMNT IS TRYING TO SAVE 2 HRS OF OVERTIME ON A SHIFT. THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT IS SLOWER THAN THE OTHERS BY FAR. THOUGH IF I HAD TO GUESS; I PROBABLY WORKED 6 ACR'S; 10 AIR TAXIES AND 3 OR 4 GA ACFT DURING THOSE 2 HRS. I AM OFTEN WORKING 4 OR 5 ACFT AT ONE TIME. I HAVE MAINT ACFT THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT TAXIING THAT OFTEN MAKE WRONG TURNS. I HAVE DEPS TAXIING OUT. ARRS INBOUND. ISSUING FLT PLANS. THE ARPT IS OPENING AND CLOSING THE RWYS ON EVERY LATE NIGHT SHIFT. REROUTING DEPS FLT PLANS. NOT TO MENTION THE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES LIKE COUNTING FLT STRIPS BY HAND.
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.