Narrative:

On this date I was called in on my rdo to work because others had called in sick. We were short-handed; a fact the facility manager vehemently denies; but we work our shifts with 2 or 3 fewer controllers than we did before the FAA canceled its contract with natca. Due to the limited number of controllers and the increasing volume of traffic we are forced to work longer periods of heavy traffic; often with position combined. On this night there was plenty of bad WX to further complicate an already heavy night of traffic. I started the night with 2 long stints on very busy position so by the end of the shift I was exhausted; mentally and emotionally. The supervisor determined that 1 controller had to stay past their regular shift to help with the backlog. He first asked for volunteers. In the time before the FAA cut our staffing levels people had the energy to work more than 8 hours. Now everyone is so drained after 8 hours that nobody wants to stay; even for time-and-a-half pay. Although I had already stated to the supervisor that I was too exhausted to stay I was ordered; on pain of suspension or dismissal; to stay. Now you have an exhausted controller handling a still large number of flts late into that night and the following morning. It also cost me 2 hours of sleep that I desperately needed in order to be rested for my next scheduled shift later that same day. The FAA stated publicly after the lexington crash that there are '...various forms of leave available to controllers...' who are not sufficiently rested to perform their duties safely; but to those who know the truth; the FAA publicly lied. They said specifically in internal documents that sick leave cannot be used in cases where the controller is not sufficiently rested. There are no other categories that would cover this scenario. So thanks to the hostile work environment the FAA has been fostering for the past 2 yrs; people are being worked and stressed to their limits; and then being told that they have to give more. This is an unsafe condition that should not be left to continue until the next big crash involving an overworked and fatigued controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FAC STAFFING AND TIME ON POSITION POLICIES THAT RESULT IN OVERWORKED SITUATIONS.

Narrative: ON THIS DATE I WAS CALLED IN ON MY RDO TO WORK BECAUSE OTHERS HAD CALLED IN SICK. WE WERE SHORT-HANDED; A FACT THE FACILITY MGR VEHEMENTLY DENIES; BUT WE WORK OUR SHIFTS WITH 2 OR 3 FEWER CTLRS THAN WE DID BEFORE THE FAA CANCELED ITS CONTRACT WITH NATCA. DUE TO THE LIMITED NUMBER OF CTLRS AND THE INCREASING VOLUME OF TFC WE ARE FORCED TO WORK LONGER PERIODS OF HVY TFC; OFTEN WITH POS COMBINED. ON THIS NIGHT THERE WAS PLENTY OF BAD WX TO FURTHER COMPLICATE AN ALREADY HVY NIGHT OF TFC. I STARTED THE NIGHT WITH 2 LONG STINTS ON VERY BUSY POS SO BY THE END OF THE SHIFT I WAS EXHAUSTED; MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. THE SUPVR DETERMINED THAT 1 CTLR HAD TO STAY PAST THEIR REGULAR SHIFT TO HELP WITH THE BACKLOG. HE FIRST ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS. IN THE TIME BEFORE THE FAA CUT OUR STAFFING LEVELS PEOPLE HAD THE ENERGY TO WORK MORE THAN 8 HRS. NOW EVERYONE IS SO DRAINED AFTER 8 HRS THAT NOBODY WANTS TO STAY; EVEN FOR TIME-AND-A-HALF PAY. ALTHOUGH I HAD ALREADY STATED TO THE SUPVR THAT I WAS TOO EXHAUSTED TO STAY I WAS ORDERED; ON PAIN OF SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL; TO STAY. NOW YOU HAVE AN EXHAUSTED CTLR HANDLING A STILL LARGE NUMBER OF FLTS LATE INTO THAT NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING. IT ALSO COST ME 2 HRS OF SLEEP THAT I DESPERATELY NEEDED IN ORDER TO BE RESTED FOR MY NEXT SCHEDULED SHIFT LATER THAT SAME DAY. THE FAA STATED PUBLICLY AFTER THE LEXINGTON CRASH THAT THERE ARE '...VARIOUS FORMS OF LEAVE AVAILABLE TO CTLRS...' WHO ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY RESTED TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES SAFELY; BUT TO THOSE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH; THE FAA PUBLICLY LIED. THEY SAID SPECIFICALLY IN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS THAT SICK LEAVE CANNOT BE USED IN CASES WHERE THE CTLR IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY RESTED. THERE ARE NO OTHER CATEGORIES THAT WOULD COVER THIS SCENARIO. SO THANKS TO THE HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT THE FAA HAS BEEN FOSTERING FOR THE PAST 2 YRS; PEOPLE ARE BEING WORKED AND STRESSED TO THEIR LIMITS; AND THEN BEING TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO GIVE MORE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO CONTINUE UNTIL THE NEXT BIG CRASH INVOLVING AN OVERWORKED AND FATIGUED CTLR.

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.