Narrative:

I was working a satellite position that was responsible for arrs and departures at satellite airports plus dfw. The satellite traffic is a mix of slow propellers; turboprops; corporate jets; air carrier's and military aircraft. I was working position combined. Because of a sporting event in area; there was more traffic than normal. Within 10 mins of assuming the position; I determined that traffic was getting too complex and busy to be combined. I finally got a supervisor's attention and asked for help. Approximately 10 mins later; there was an MD80 inbound for runway 13R at dfw and a WW24 inbound for fws. Due to the complexity and volume of traffic; I inadvertently descended both aircraft to 4000 ft. I noticed the problem when they were about 5 mi apart and took action to separate them; but due to the fast closure rate; standard separation was lost. The conflict alert went off after separation was lost. It was about another 5 mins before help arrived. Evidently there were no other controllers available; because the help that finally arrived was the supervisor that I had originally asked for help 15 mins earlier. There is a severe staffing shortage at my facility although the FAA will deny it. We are routinely working more traffic with combined position. Controllers routinely work 6 day work weeks and 10 hour days. This is definitely contributing to controller fatigue. I had just started working my 13TH work day with only 2 days off and fatigue was another contributing factor for this error. Although the number of experienced controllers is decreasing at an alarming rate; the amount of traffic is rising. Due to pressure from the users; the facility is reluctant to reduce the capacity. Controllers are working more traffic now than ever before with longer days; less breaks and less days off. The number of operrors is way up also. The FAA's answer is to hire a whole bunch of people to replace the aging workforce. The problem is they have cut their wages in half; so they do not get the good experienced people they dearly need. They hire a bunch of inexperienced controllers; some with absolutely no ATC experience; and send them to one of the busiest airports in the world. Besides the added traffic and fatigue we are experiencing; now we have the added stress of trying to train these controllers. We routinely work more traffic than we can safely accommodate with the number of controllers on duty. It is a recipe for disaster.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR; ON COMBINED SECTORS; EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 4000 WITH DFW AND FWS ARRIVALS; ALLEGING ANSWERS TO CALLS FOR HELP WERE LATE IN COMING.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A SATELLITE POS THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRS AND DEPS AT SATELLITE ARPTS PLUS DFW. THE SATELLITE TFC IS A MIX OF SLOW PROPS; TURBOPROPS; CORPORATE JETS; ACR'S AND MIL ACFT. I WAS WORKING POS COMBINED. BECAUSE OF A SPORTING EVENT IN AREA; THERE WAS MORE TFC THAN NORMAL. WITHIN 10 MINS OF ASSUMING THE POS; I DETERMINED THAT TFC WAS GETTING TOO COMPLEX AND BUSY TO BE COMBINED. I FINALLY GOT A SUPVR'S ATTN AND ASKED FOR HELP. APPROX 10 MINS LATER; THERE WAS AN MD80 INBOUND FOR RWY 13R AT DFW AND A WW24 INBOUND FOR FWS. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND VOLUME OF TFC; I INADVERTENTLY DSNDED BOTH ACFT TO 4000 FT. I NOTICED THE PROB WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT 5 MI APART AND TOOK ACTION TO SEPARATE THEM; BUT DUE TO THE FAST CLOSURE RATE; STANDARD SEPARATION WAS LOST. THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF AFTER SEPARATION WAS LOST. IT WAS ABOUT ANOTHER 5 MINS BEFORE HELP ARRIVED. EVIDENTLY THERE WERE NO OTHER CTLRS AVAILABLE; BECAUSE THE HELP THAT FINALLY ARRIVED WAS THE SUPVR THAT I HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR HELP 15 MINS EARLIER. THERE IS A SEVERE STAFFING SHORTAGE AT MY FACILITY ALTHOUGH THE FAA WILL DENY IT. WE ARE ROUTINELY WORKING MORE TFC WITH COMBINED POS. CTLRS ROUTINELY WORK 6 DAY WORK WKS AND 10 HR DAYS. THIS IS DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTING TO CTLR FATIGUE. I HAD JUST STARTED WORKING MY 13TH WORK DAY WITH ONLY 2 DAYS OFF AND FATIGUE WAS ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR THIS ERROR. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF EXPERIENCED CTLRS IS DECREASING AT AN ALARMING RATE; THE AMOUNT OF TFC IS RISING. DUE TO PRESSURE FROM THE USERS; THE FACILITY IS RELUCTANT TO REDUCE THE CAPACITY. CTLRS ARE WORKING MORE TFC NOW THAN EVER BEFORE WITH LONGER DAYS; LESS BREAKS AND LESS DAYS OFF. THE NUMBER OF OPERRORS IS WAY UP ALSO. THE FAA'S ANSWER IS TO HIRE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE TO REPLACE THE AGING WORKFORCE. THE PROB IS THEY HAVE CUT THEIR WAGES IN HALF; SO THEY DO NOT GET THE GOOD EXPERIENCED PEOPLE THEY DEARLY NEED. THEY HIRE A BUNCH OF INEXPERIENCED CTLRS; SOME WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ATC EXPERIENCE; AND SEND THEM TO ONE OF THE BUSIEST ARPTS IN THE WORLD. BESIDES THE ADDED TFC AND FATIGUE WE ARE EXPERIENCING; NOW WE HAVE THE ADDED STRESS OF TRYING TO TRAIN THESE CTLRS. WE ROUTINELY WORK MORE TFC THAN WE CAN SAFELY ACCOMMODATE WITH THE NUMBER OF CTLRS ON DUTY. IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.

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.