 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
S46 controller expressed concern regarding facility staffing levels; questioning supervisors' qualifications to manage shifts.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 729667 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200702 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : s46.tracon |
| State Reference | WA |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 24 |
| ASRS Report | 729667 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : s46.tracon staffing : s46.tracon |
Narrative:
Staffing problem -- not enough controllers to staff position. The supervisor on duty; who is not even checked out on the radar position; combines 1 departure sector with another position on the opposite side of the room during the morning departure rush. This leaves the 2 departure radar position (that are normally staffed with a handoff position) on opposite sides of room when they normally are right next to each other for coordination purposes. The arrival sector also stayed combined on 1 radar scope much longer than usual during the morning due to staffing. Past practice has been to open both arrival sectors. This doesn't happen anymore until later in the morning. The TRACON has been managed by supervisors or temporary supervisors for over 6 months with unqualified supervisors making decisions -- they are not qualified (certified) to work the position yet they run the shifts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: S46 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING LEVELS; QUESTIONING SUPVRS' QUALIFICATIONS TO MANAGE SHIFTS.
Narrative: STAFFING PROB -- NOT ENOUGH CTLRS TO STAFF POS. THE SUPVR ON DUTY; WHO IS NOT EVEN CHKED OUT ON THE RADAR POS; COMBINES 1 DEP SECTOR WITH ANOTHER POS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROOM DURING THE MORNING DEP RUSH. THIS LEAVES THE 2 DEP RADAR POS (THAT ARE NORMALLY STAFFED WITH A HDOF POS) ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF ROOM WHEN THEY NORMALLY ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER FOR COORD PURPOSES. THE ARR SECTOR ALSO STAYED COMBINED ON 1 RADAR SCOPE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL DURING THE MORNING DUE TO STAFFING. PAST PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO OPEN BOTH ARR SECTORS. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE UNTIL LATER IN THE MORNING. THE TRACON HAS BEEN MANAGED BY SUPVRS OR TEMPORARY SUPVRS FOR OVER 6 MONTHS WITH UNQUALIFIED SUPVRS MAKING DECISIONS -- THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED (CERTIFIED) TO WORK THE POS YET THEY RUN THE SHIFTS.
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.