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Bil controller described staffing shortage resulting in reduced ATC services; management questioning reporter's staffing/operations decision.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 740236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bil.airport |
| State Reference | MT |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 7 controller radar : 27 controller supervisory : 1 controller time certified in position1 : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 740236 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
During the shift the TRACON had to be closed due to sick leave. Bil airspace was given to center and bil was required to go to a VFR tower; having only 1 controller. Sick leave had to be given at XA00. With new staffing requirements; I'm not sure about keeping the facility open or giving it to center. But our concern is/was trying to get someone to come in. The manager gave instructions to call overtime; which we did; no one available. Controller on duty gave the airspace to center as directed by the manager. Next morning a letter came out saying the controller on duty didn't use all his resources; that the controller should have called one of the other shift people into cover. Again our concern is calling a controller with 3 hours of sleep to work an 8 hour shift. If safety is the priority; a controller with 2 maybe 3 hours of sleep should not be called in to work under any circumstances.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BIL CTLR DESCRIBED STAFFING SHORTAGE RESULTING IN REDUCED ATC SERVICES; MGMNT QUESTIONING REPORTER'S STAFFING/OPS DECISION.
Narrative: DURING THE SHIFT THE TRACON HAD TO BE CLOSED DUE TO SICK LEAVE. BIL AIRSPACE WAS GIVEN TO CTR AND BIL WAS REQUIRED TO GO TO A VFR TWR; HAVING ONLY 1 CTLR. SICK LEAVE HAD TO BE GIVEN AT XA00. WITH NEW STAFFING REQUIREMENTS; I'M NOT SURE ABOUT KEEPING THE FACILITY OPEN OR GIVING IT TO CTR. BUT OUR CONCERN IS/WAS TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO COME IN. THE MGR GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL OVERTIME; WHICH WE DID; NO ONE AVAILABLE. CTLR ON DUTY GAVE THE AIRSPACE TO CTR AS DIRECTED BY THE MGR. NEXT MORNING A LETTER CAME OUT SAYING THE CTLR ON DUTY DIDN'T USE ALL HIS RESOURCES; THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE CALLED ONE OF THE OTHER SHIFT PEOPLE INTO COVER. AGAIN OUR CONCERN IS CALLING A CTLR WITH 3 HRS OF SLEEP TO WORK AN 8 HR SHIFT. IF SAFETY IS THE PRIORITY; A CTLR WITH 2 MAYBE 3 HRS OF SLEEP SHOULD NOT BE CALLED IN TO WORK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
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.