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Btr controller voiced concern regarding the facility policy/staffing of TRACON data positions and training qualifications of same.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 739576 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : btr.airport |
| State Reference | LA |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 18 |
| ASRS Report | 739576 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : btr.tracon |
Narrative:
Radar sector very busy; no handoff position open no supervisor in TRACON (was out checking shoes for dress code violation) ad/dd was staffed by a local certified controller. There has been no training done for any persons for this position (ad/dd). The certification process is that when you get checked out on ground control; you are automatically checked out on ad/dd. No instructions for the position are ever given or certified knowledge attained. This puts the radar controller in a position of not having adequate help in the event of sector saturation. These people working this position in the radar environment are only certified through ground; they have no radar experience and as such; cannot help in the event that they are needed for anything (coordination; amendments; extra eyes; or monitoring the frequencys). They have been given zero knowledge of radar procedures or airspace. This is going to cause a situation where you will have someone make a mistake and they are thinking the ad/dd position is there to assist them. There is no safety net with this process.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BTR CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE FAC POLICY/STAFFING OF TRACON DATA POSITIONS AND TRAINING QUALIFICATIONS OF SAME.
Narrative: RADAR SECTOR VERY BUSY; NO HDOF POS OPEN NO SUPVR IN TRACON (WAS OUT CHKING SHOES FOR DRESS CODE VIOLATION) AD/DD WAS STAFFED BY A LCL CERTIFIED CTLR. THERE HAS BEEN NO TRAINING DONE FOR ANY PERSONS FOR THIS POS (AD/DD). THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IS THAT WHEN YOU GET CHKED OUT ON GC; YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY CHKED OUT ON AD/DD. NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE POS ARE EVER GIVEN OR CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE ATTAINED. THIS PUTS THE RADAR CTLR IN A POS OF NOT HAVING ADEQUATE HELP IN THE EVENT OF SECTOR SATURATION. THESE PEOPLE WORKING THIS POS IN THE RADAR ENVIRONMENT ARE ONLY CERTIFIED THROUGH GND; THEY HAVE NO RADAR EXPERIENCE AND AS SUCH; CANNOT HELP IN THE EVENT THAT THEY ARE NEEDED FOR ANYTHING (COORD; AMENDMENTS; EXTRA EYES; OR MONITORING THE FREQS). THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF RADAR PROCS OR AIRSPACE. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE A SITUATION WHERE YOU WILL HAVE SOMEONE MAKE A MISTAKE AND THEY ARE THINKING THE AD/DD POS IS THERE TO ASSIST THEM. THERE IS NO SAFETY NET WITH THIS PROCESS.
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.