Narrative:

This shift at phl ATCT worked an extremely complex operation with numerous difficulties. With winds 120 degrees at 10 KTS for most of the evening; we were on cils 9R/left/17/8. Although the shift did not start with swap in effect; we had intermittent stoppages over the ood fix affecting between 20-30% of the departure traffic at various times. More important to those working; we had construction on taxiway S2 affecting all arrs to runway 9R taxiing into the ramp area and a hole on runway 9L approach affecting all departures. Because of these 2 situations; all aircraft taxiing either in or out had to be given explicit instructions and the frequencys; of both ground and local control; were even more congested than usual. Almost half of the departures could not use runway 9L at K5 for departure and needed to use runway 9R that was being used for arrs. Propeller traffic arrs were using cils runway 17 which intersected with runway 9L. All departures had to be coordinated between 2 local controllers and had to be sequenced between each other as well as the runway 9R arrs and the runway 17 arrs. Most heavy aircraft needed to use runway 9R for departure causing additional spacing for wake turbulence. After sunset; we were not able to 'taxi into position and hold' which caused additional workload on all controllers attempting to move traffic under these circumstances. I have never seen a situation like this at phl in the yrs that I have been here. There has never been more complexity and so little margin for error. There were no additional personnel assigned to the tower for this operation. In fact; at least 2 employees working this complex workload; worked for more than 2 hours at a time. I worked one extremely difficult session for 1 hour 56 mins. The effect on the controllers working so long during an extremely difficult period caused lots of frustration and confusion. I have passed on to both supervision and operation mgrs at phl how lucky we were to have not had any incursions or operrors during this shift. Several employees asked many times to stop the runway 17 arrs; to be granted a waiver for tiph on runway 9L for the hole; all to no avail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING OPS DURING BUSY/COMPLEX SHIFT WITH ONE RWY LIMITED TO USE.

Narrative: THIS SHIFT AT PHL ATCT WORKED AN EXTREMELY COMPLEX OP WITH NUMEROUS DIFFICULTIES. WITH WINDS 120 DEGS AT 10 KTS FOR MOST OF THE EVENING; WE WERE ON CILS 9R/L/17/8. ALTHOUGH THE SHIFT DID NOT START WITH SWAP IN EFFECT; WE HAD INTERMITTENT STOPPAGES OVER THE OOD FIX AFFECTING BTWN 20-30% OF THE DEP TFC AT VARIOUS TIMES. MORE IMPORTANT TO THOSE WORKING; WE HAD CONSTRUCTION ON TXWY S2 AFFECTING ALL ARRS TO RWY 9R TAXIING INTO THE RAMP AREA AND A HOLE ON RWY 9L APCH AFFECTING ALL DEPS. BECAUSE OF THESE 2 SITUATIONS; ALL ACFT TAXIING EITHER IN OR OUT HAD TO BE GIVEN EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS AND THE FREQS; OF BOTH GND AND LCL CTL; WERE EVEN MORE CONGESTED THAN USUAL. ALMOST HALF OF THE DEPS COULD NOT USE RWY 9L AT K5 FOR DEP AND NEEDED TO USE RWY 9R THAT WAS BEING USED FOR ARRS. PROP TFC ARRS WERE USING CILS RWY 17 WHICH INTERSECTED WITH RWY 9L. ALL DEPS HAD TO BE COORDINATED BTWN 2 LCL CTLRS AND HAD TO BE SEQUENCED BTWN EACH OTHER AS WELL AS THE RWY 9R ARRS AND THE RWY 17 ARRS. MOST HVY ACFT NEEDED TO USE RWY 9R FOR DEP CAUSING ADDITIONAL SPACING FOR WAKE TURB. AFTER SUNSET; WE WERE NOT ABLE TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' WHICH CAUSED ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD ON ALL CTLRS ATTEMPTING TO MOVE TFC UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS AT PHL IN THE YRS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE COMPLEXITY AND SO LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR. THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO THE TWR FOR THIS OP. IN FACT; AT LEAST 2 EMPLOYEES WORKING THIS COMPLEX WORKLOAD; WORKED FOR MORE THAN 2 HRS AT A TIME. I WORKED ONE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SESSION FOR 1 HR 56 MINS. THE EFFECT ON THE CTLRS WORKING SO LONG DURING AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT PERIOD CAUSED LOTS OF FRUSTRATION AND CONFUSION. I HAVE PASSED ON TO BOTH SUPERVISION AND OP MGRS AT PHL HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE NOT HAD ANY INCURSIONS OR OPERRORS DURING THIS SHIFT. SEVERAL EMPLOYEES ASKED MANY TIMES TO STOP THE RWY 17 ARRS; TO BE GRANTED A WAIVER FOR TIPH ON RWY 9L FOR THE HOLE; ALL TO NO AVAIL.

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.