Narrative:

We were encountering the same winter storm type conditions as I have filed in previous NASA reports. During winter storm conditions at mci we were short staffed; at the time of the occurrence the supervisor in the TRACON due to inadequate staffing was having to work not only his supervisory position but also the arrival data position which was combined to his position. This was also the case in our previous operational error at mci. The supervisor was constantly being distraction from his job of overseeing the operation and if his position had not been combined he very well could have helped to prevent the error. As is continually the case we are being made to work short staffed of controllers here at mci due to the retirements and extended sick leave situations that we have here. Since this short staffing began we have had 2 operrors and several close calls in the last few weeks. Only after the operational error had occurred and the supervisor needed to do administrative duties was there finally overtime used. We are continually working without an adequate number of controllers to provide the safe service that we need to provide; sometimes having none on break and other times having to close one position in order to split out another; and probably 70-80% of the time the supervisor/controller in charge must work a data position combined to their position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FAC STAFFING LEVELS.

Narrative: WE WERE ENCOUNTERING THE SAME WINTER STORM TYPE CONDITIONS AS I HAVE FILED IN PREVIOUS NASA RPTS. DURING WINTER STORM CONDITIONS AT MCI WE WERE SHORT STAFFED; AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE THE SUPVR IN THE TRACON DUE TO INADEQUATE STAFFING WAS HAVING TO WORK NOT ONLY HIS SUPERVISORY POS BUT ALSO THE ARR DATA POS WHICH WAS COMBINED TO HIS POS. THIS WAS ALSO THE CASE IN OUR PREVIOUS OPERROR AT MCI. THE SUPVR WAS CONSTANTLY BEING DISTR FROM HIS JOB OF OVERSEEING THE OP AND IF HIS POS HAD NOT BEEN COMBINED HE VERY WELL COULD HAVE HELPED TO PREVENT THE ERROR. AS IS CONTINUALLY THE CASE WE ARE BEING MADE TO WORK SHORT STAFFED OF CTLRS HERE AT MCI DUE TO THE RETIREMENTS AND EXTENDED SICK LEAVE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE. SINCE THIS SHORT STAFFING BEGAN WE HAVE HAD 2 OPERRORS AND SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. ONLY AFTER THE OPERROR HAD OCCURRED AND THE SUPVR NEEDED TO DO ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES WAS THERE FINALLY OVERTIME USED. WE ARE CONTINUALLY WORKING WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF CTLRS TO PROVIDE THE SAFE SVC THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE; SOMETIMES HAVING NONE ON BREAK AND OTHER TIMES HAVING TO CLOSE ONE POS IN ORDER TO SPLIT OUT ANOTHER; AND PROBABLY 70-80% OF THE TIME THE SUPVR/CIC MUST WORK A DATA POS COMBINED TO THEIR POS.

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.