Narrative:

I was working radar sector at ZNY and requested assistance in the form of a handoff person. There were no fpl controllers available; so I was assigned a limited rated supervisor. The limited rated supervisor performed to the best of his ability; however; the sector quickly deteriorated to an out-of-control and unsafe level. Traffic was stopped from ZOB jamestown and warren sectors; however; they were unable to contain the aircraft in their airspace resulting in numerous airspace violations. The staffing in the area during this time period was at the absolute minimum and the supervisor in charge of the area was unaware of the building volume of traffic. This lack of staffing and lapse of supervisory awareness triggered a chain of events resulting in numerous airspace violations and unsafe conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF AVAILABLE STAFFING DURING BUSY SHIFT WHEN HDOF CTLR WAS NEEDED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING RADAR SECTOR AT ZNY AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF A HDOF PERSON. THERE WERE NO FPL CTLRS AVAILABLE; SO I WAS ASSIGNED A LIMITED RATED SUPVR. THE LIMITED RATED SUPVR PERFORMED TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY; HOWEVER; THE SECTOR QUICKLY DETERIORATED TO AN OUT-OF-CTL AND UNSAFE LEVEL. TFC WAS STOPPED FROM ZOB JAMESTOWN AND WARREN SECTORS; HOWEVER; THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTAIN THE ACFT IN THEIR AIRSPACE RESULTING IN NUMEROUS AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS. THE STAFFING IN THE AREA DURING THIS TIME PERIOD WAS AT THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM AND THE SUPVR IN CHARGE OF THE AREA WAS UNAWARE OF THE BUILDING VOLUME OF TFC. THIS LACK OF STAFFING AND LAPSE OF SUPERVISORY AWARENESS TRIGGERED A CHAIN OF EVENTS RESULTING IN NUMEROUS AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS.

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.