Narrative:

This event happened because I simply had a moment of forgetfulness. A C210 was doing photo work at 5000 ft. The aircraft was making ns runs; had been pointed out to me and had exited my airspace. It had then turned around and headed back into my airspace. The normal turn-on altitude for the runway I was working (runway 26R) is 5000 ft. Also traffic coming to runway 26R normally approachs from the north (base) or west (downwind). I had been handed off a BE20 coming up from the south to go to runway 26R because it would be more convenient to the pilot and to the tower controllers to have the aircraft land on the northernmost runway. I very diligently vectored the BE20 to go above and behind the C210. In the meantime I descended several downwind aircraft to 5000 ft to turn in behind the BE20. The final was extending out to around 22 mi or so. I turned the B757 toward the airport to join the final behind the BE20; momentarily forgetting about the northbound C210; also at 5000 ft. Luckily; my supervisor -- who had just complimented the way I had gotten the BE20 to the final in an efficient manner -- saw the situation and pointed it out to me and the controller working the C210 in time for us to take action to rectify the situation. I issued the B757 a turn away from the traffic and the other controller issued a descent to the C210 so that separation was not lost. However; without this help from my teammates; this could have been a bad situation. I apparently relied on habits and 'the normal' way of doing things and when something abnormal was added to the situation I didn't take that into account quickly enough. We are working a lot of 6-DAY weeks and occasionally 10-hour days and fatigue could have been a factor. I worked 49 hours last week. In numbers of certified personnel; A80 is terribly understaffed. Despite the FAA's public statements; overtime is not voluntary; it is scheduled. Going over 2 hours on position is a common occurrence; and putting in over 6 hours on position per day is the norm. Combine the time on position with the overtime and fewer opportunities for annual leave and the result is fatigue. If the supervisors were allowed to manage their resources in a more dynamic manner some of the time on position issues could be dealt with. However; upper management has mandated that 'handoff' or flight data position be kept open; no matter what the traffic situation. Yes; atlanta is a hugely busy airport but the traffic ebbs and flows and there are 20 and 30 min periods throughout the day when all the position do not need to be opened. Just a few sensible modifications like this could bring the time on position down to a more reasonable level. As for the overtime; only additional personnel will help that and to get experienced personnel there has to be an enticement and that usually means money.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR OPERROR AT 5000 FT WHEN FAILING TO REMEMBER PHOTO TFC XING TURN ON POINT FOR RWY 26R; CITING FATIGUE A FACTOR.

Narrative: THIS EVENT HAPPENED BECAUSE I SIMPLY HAD A MOMENT OF FORGETFULNESS. A C210 WAS DOING PHOTO WORK AT 5000 FT. THE ACFT WAS MAKING NS RUNS; HAD BEEN POINTED OUT TO ME AND HAD EXITED MY AIRSPACE. IT HAD THEN TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK INTO MY AIRSPACE. THE NORMAL TURN-ON ALT FOR THE RWY I WAS WORKING (RWY 26R) IS 5000 FT. ALSO TFC COMING TO RWY 26R NORMALLY APCHS FROM THE N (BASE) OR W (DOWNWIND). I HAD BEEN HANDED OFF A BE20 COMING UP FROM THE S TO GO TO RWY 26R BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MORE CONVENIENT TO THE PLT AND TO THE TWR CTLRS TO HAVE THE ACFT LAND ON THE NORTHERNMOST RWY. I VERY DILIGENTLY VECTORED THE BE20 TO GO ABOVE AND BEHIND THE C210. IN THE MEANTIME I DSNDED SEVERAL DOWNWIND ACFT TO 5000 FT TO TURN IN BEHIND THE BE20. THE FINAL WAS EXTENDING OUT TO AROUND 22 MI OR SO. I TURNED THE B757 TOWARD THE ARPT TO JOIN THE FINAL BEHIND THE BE20; MOMENTARILY FORGETTING ABOUT THE NBOUND C210; ALSO AT 5000 FT. LUCKILY; MY SUPVR -- WHO HAD JUST COMPLIMENTED THE WAY I HAD GOTTEN THE BE20 TO THE FINAL IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER -- SAW THE SITUATION AND POINTED IT OUT TO ME AND THE CTLR WORKING THE C210 IN TIME FOR US TO TAKE ACTION TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. I ISSUED THE B757 A TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC AND THE OTHER CTLR ISSUED A DSCNT TO THE C210 SO THAT SEPARATION WAS NOT LOST. HOWEVER; WITHOUT THIS HELP FROM MY TEAMMATES; THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD SITUATION. I APPARENTLY RELIED ON HABITS AND 'THE NORMAL' WAY OF DOING THINGS AND WHEN SOMETHING ABNORMAL WAS ADDED TO THE SITUATION I DIDN'T TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT QUICKLY ENOUGH. WE ARE WORKING A LOT OF 6-DAY WEEKS AND OCCASIONALLY 10-HR DAYS AND FATIGUE COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. I WORKED 49 HRS LAST WEEK. IN NUMBERS OF CERTIFIED PERSONNEL; A80 IS TERRIBLY UNDERSTAFFED. DESPITE THE FAA'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS; OVERTIME IS NOT VOLUNTARY; IT IS SCHEDULED. GOING OVER 2 HRS ON POS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE; AND PUTTING IN OVER 6 HRS ON POS PER DAY IS THE NORM. COMBINE THE TIME ON POS WITH THE OVERTIME AND FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANNUAL LEAVE AND THE RESULT IS FATIGUE. IF THE SUPVRS WERE ALLOWED TO MANAGE THEIR RESOURCES IN A MORE DYNAMIC MANNER SOME OF THE TIME ON POS ISSUES COULD BE DEALT WITH. HOWEVER; UPPER MGMNT HAS MANDATED THAT 'HDOF' OR FLT DATA POS BE KEPT OPEN; NO MATTER WHAT THE TFC SITUATION. YES; ATLANTA IS A HUGELY BUSY ARPT BUT THE TFC EBBS AND FLOWS AND THERE ARE 20 AND 30 MIN PERIODS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHEN ALL THE POS DO NOT NEED TO BE OPENED. JUST A FEW SENSIBLE MODIFICATIONS LIKE THIS COULD BRING THE TIME ON POS DOWN TO A MORE REASONABLE LEVEL. AS FOR THE OVERTIME; ONLY ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WILL HELP THAT AND TO GET EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL THERE HAS TO BE AN ENTICEMENT AND THAT USUALLY MEANS MONEY.

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.