Narrative:

On apr/xa/07; during the period XA12Z-XB11Z; I was assigned to and worked the west radar position (combined) at ilm by an ilm front line manager (flm). The air traffic manager immediately convened a supervisor's meeting requiring the attendance of both facility front line mgrs who; incidentally; were present in the radar room just prior to the start of the meeting. The above front line manager assigned a certified professional controller controller in charge duties while performing the functions of the west handoff; in direct conflict with the air traffic manager's stated policy regarding facility staffing; for the duration of the meeting. During the ensuing 0+59 period; the radar team became extremely busy (45 total operations) as is normal; during the middle of a period that routinely produces; with little or no advanced warning; an exponential jump in the facility's traffic volume and complexity. The radar team elected to keep the west sector combined as the controller in charge performed the duties of west handoff. Considering the alternative of splitting the airspace; this was the prudent option. In my opinion; it was unsafe for the flm's to abandon we two certified professional controllers in the face of such a potentially volatile operation; forcing the controller in charge to work an operating position while also performing controller in charge duties including but not limited to: traffic counting; phone answering and personnel rotation; all while maintaining situational awareness of facility security and control tower operations. The 2 front line mgrs engaged in the meeting should have been available to share the workload and supervise the shift allowing the certified professional controllers to freely concentrate strictly on ATC duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ILM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING STAFFING DURING A POTENTIALLY BUSY TFC PERIOD DUE TO SUPVR MEETING.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/07; DURING THE PERIOD XA12Z-XB11Z; I WAS ASSIGNED TO AND WORKED THE W RADAR POS (COMBINED) AT ILM BY AN ILM FRONT LINE MGR (FLM). THE AIR TFC MGR IMMEDIATELY CONVENED A SUPVR'S MEETING REQUIRING THE ATTENDANCE OF BOTH FACILITY FRONT LINE MGRS WHO; INCIDENTALLY; WERE PRESENT IN THE RADAR ROOM JUST PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING. THE ABOVE FRONT LINE MGR ASSIGNED A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL CTLR CIC DUTIES WHILE PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE W HDOF; IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE AIR TFC MGR'S STATED POLICY REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING; FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING. DURING THE ENSUING 0+59 PERIOD; THE RADAR TEAM BECAME EXTREMELY BUSY (45 TOTAL OPS) AS IS NORMAL; DURING THE MIDDLE OF A PERIOD THAT ROUTINELY PRODUCES; WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCED WARNING; AN EXPONENTIAL JUMP IN THE FACILITY'S TFC VOLUME AND COMPLEXITY. THE RADAR TEAM ELECTED TO KEEP THE W SECTOR COMBINED AS THE CIC PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF W HDOF. CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVE OF SPLITTING THE AIRSPACE; THIS WAS THE PRUDENT OPTION. IN MY OPINION; IT WAS UNSAFE FOR THE FLM'S TO ABANDON WE TWO CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL CTLRS IN THE FACE OF SUCH A POTENTIALLY VOLATILE OP; FORCING THE CIC TO WORK AN OPERATING POS WHILE ALSO PERFORMING CIC DUTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: TFC COUNTING; PHONE ANSWERING AND PERSONNEL ROTATION; ALL WHILE MAINTAINING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF FACILITY SECURITY AND CTL TWR OPS. THE 2 FRONT LINE MGRS ENGAGED IN THE MEETING SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO SHARE THE WORKLOAD AND SUPERVISE THE SHIFT ALLOWING THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL CTLRS TO FREELY CONCENTRATE STRICTLY ON ATC DUTIES.

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.