Narrative:

I was working the eon and boone sectors combined. We had only 7 people on the shift that we would normally have 9-10. We had 6 of the 7 people on the floor working. Normally we would split the eon and boone sectors as needed but if we did we would have no controllers available for help. The area supervisor mr X had put a 15 mi in trail restr on ord approach sbound to keep the sector manageable. Unfortunately; ord approach was not giving me the 15 mi in trail and sent out a string of 4 with 6-7 mi between them. We complained and were told there was a 'misunderstanding.' shortly thereafter; the operations manager mr Y came down and asked if we could drop to 10 mi in trail. I told him no; my d-side mr west told him no; and mr X told him no. They weren't giving us the 15 mi in trail we asked for and the sector was busy. Mr Y watched the sector for a couple of mins then left. He then told mr X that he had taken out the 15 mi in trail and gone to 10 mi in trail. Mr Y is not certified at any south area sectors. We were all upset that mr Y completely disregarded our request. I was furious that mr Y tried to bury me with more aircraft than I could handle. Why is an operations manager overriding 2 fpl's and the area supervisor? Who would have been responsible for a separation error? This intentional overburdening of controllers is incredibly unsafe -- a midair waiting to happen!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR DESCRIBED SITUATION WHERE DURING BUSY TFC THE OPS MGR OVERRODE FPL AND SUPVR INPUT AND REDUCED MI IN TRAIL SEPARATION FROM C90.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE EON AND BOONE SECTORS COMBINED. WE HAD ONLY 7 PEOPLE ON THE SHIFT THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE 9-10. WE HAD 6 OF THE 7 PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR WORKING. NORMALLY WE WOULD SPLIT THE EON AND BOONE SECTORS AS NEEDED BUT IF WE DID WE WOULD HAVE NO CTLRS AVAILABLE FOR HELP. THE AREA SUPVR MR X HAD PUT A 15 MI IN TRAIL RESTR ON ORD APCH SBOUND TO KEEP THE SECTOR MANAGEABLE. UNFORTUNATELY; ORD APCH WAS NOT GIVING ME THE 15 MI IN TRAIL AND SENT OUT A STRING OF 4 WITH 6-7 MI BTWN THEM. WE COMPLAINED AND WERE TOLD THERE WAS A 'MISUNDERSTANDING.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE OPS MGR MR Y CAME DOWN AND ASKED IF WE COULD DROP TO 10 MI IN TRAIL. I TOLD HIM NO; MY D-SIDE MR W TOLD HIM NO; AND MR X TOLD HIM NO. THEY WEREN'T GIVING US THE 15 MI IN TRAIL WE ASKED FOR AND THE SECTOR WAS BUSY. MR Y WATCHED THE SECTOR FOR A COUPLE OF MINS THEN LEFT. HE THEN TOLD MR X THAT HE HAD TAKEN OUT THE 15 MI IN TRAIL AND GONE TO 10 MI IN TRAIL. MR Y IS NOT CERTIFIED AT ANY S AREA SECTORS. WE WERE ALL UPSET THAT MR Y COMPLETELY DISREGARDED OUR REQUEST. I WAS FURIOUS THAT MR Y TRIED TO BURY ME WITH MORE ACFT THAN I COULD HANDLE. WHY IS AN OPS MGR OVERRIDING 2 FPL'S AND THE AREA SUPVR? WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR A SEPARATION ERROR? THIS INTENTIONAL OVERBURDENING OF CTLRS IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE -- A MIDAIR WAITING TO HAPPEN!

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.