Tul controller voiced concern regarding staffing standards and late shift staffing policy.

Attributes
ACN	725474
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tul.airport
State Reference	OK
Environment
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Experience	controller military : 8 controller radar : 20 controller time certified in position1 : 4 flight time total : 100
ASRS Report	725474
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : tul.tower staffing : tul.tower

Narrative:

I was assigned a mid-shift at tul ATCT. I was the only controller present in the control tower from 2300 until relief came in at 0610. Evidently FAA management believes that tul is extremely understaffed. They have changed our work schedule 3 times in the past 4 months. The latest change has created an extremely unsafe condition. Controllers are not relieved off of a late night shift until 0610-0630. On the morning of jan/fri/07 I was alone in the tower. When I was relieved at 0610 I had 16 departures proposed out; 2 had taxied to runway 18L; an air carrier was requesting an opposite direction departure runway 36R; there were aircraft pushed off on the ramp to deice and other aircraft repositioning around these aircraft. I was exhausted from working 16 hours of the last 24 hours and was unable to remain alert and observe all of the interactions that were or may have been occurring. My responsibilities and priorities overlap as aircraft call for WX/clrncs/taxi instructions/departure and arrival clrncs and information all combined at one control position. This is a truly unsafe operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TUL CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING STAFFING STANDARDS AND LATE SHIFT STAFFING POLICY.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED A MID-SHIFT AT TUL ATCT. I WAS THE ONLY CTLR PRESENT IN THE CTL TWR FROM 2300 UNTIL RELIEF CAME IN AT 0610. EVIDENTLY FAA MGMNT BELIEVES THAT TUL IS EXTREMELY UNDERSTAFFED. THEY HAVE CHANGED OUR WORK SCHEDULE 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS. THE LATEST CHANGE HAS CREATED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION. CTLRS ARE NOT RELIEVED OFF OF A LATE NIGHT SHIFT UNTIL 0610-0630. ON THE MORNING OF JAN/FRI/07 I WAS ALONE IN THE TWR. WHEN I WAS RELIEVED AT 0610 I HAD 16 DEPS PROPOSED OUT; 2 HAD TAXIED TO RWY 18L; AN ACR WAS REQUESTING AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION DEP RWY 36R; THERE WERE ACFT PUSHED OFF ON THE RAMP TO DEICE AND OTHER ACFT REPOSITIONING AROUND THESE ACFT. I WAS EXHAUSTED FROM WORKING 16 HRS OF THE LAST 24 HRS AND WAS UNABLE TO REMAIN ALERT AND OBSERVE ALL OF THE INTERACTIONS THAT WERE OR MAY HAVE BEEN OCCURRING. MY RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIORITIES OVERLAP AS ACFT CALL FOR WX/CLRNCS/TAXI INSTRUCTIONS/DEP AND ARR CLRNCS AND INFO ALL COMBINED AT ONE CTL POS. THIS IS A TRULY UNSAFE 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.