Narrative:

I have never filled out this form before; but am aware it is to report unsafe situations. I have been a controller for many yrs at ZAU. In the southwest area we have been told that we are getting 2 new sectors: danville and kankakee from the south area. Management (or the training department) have given us 45 hours to train and get checked out on the 2 sectors. I trained with little or no traffic. And then you got an additional 10 hours if you were not ready at 45 hours. I was at my 55 hours (at which time I was not ready) and I had 2 choices: #1) check out and sign the blue sheet; or #2) get pulled from training and might have to go in front of a review board. I have been a controller for a lot of yrs and feel comfortable with my skills as an ATC controller when I was trained thoroughly. I cannot say that now. We have not been given enough time to feel comfortable. I was pressured to think that if I did not check out; I would have to go in front of a review board and that scared me; so I signed the blue sheet; hindsight maybe I should not have signed it; and faced the review board so they would understand the dire situation we face. It is ironic; but 2 days after I was checked out they had me do a cbi-sms (safety management system); and it also had us watch a video on the 'challenger' disaster. A gentleman said on the video 'the challenger disaster can never be called an accident. Human lives lost needlessly.' I feel like this is a similar situation with the danville/kankakee sector coming to the southwest area; that we are being rushed to be checked out; so we can take the sector over. As long as it can be moved from the south to the southwest; who cares the amount of airspace it is; or the complexity that it will be in late spring; summer; just make it happen. The engineers for the challenger were bullied into agreeing to launch -- regardless of the data. I; as a controller feel like I have been bullied to check out; regardless if I am ready to work the sector; danville/kankakee.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE LACK OF TRNG PROVIDED TO TAKE OVER ADDITIONAL SECTORS; CITING MGMNT PRESSURE TO MIN OJT HRS.

Narrative: I HAVE NEVER FILLED OUT THIS FORM BEFORE; BUT AM AWARE IT IS TO RPT UNSAFE SITUATIONS. I HAVE BEEN A CTLR FOR MANY YRS AT ZAU. IN THE SW AREA WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE ARE GETTING 2 NEW SECTORS: DANVILLE AND KANKAKEE FROM THE S AREA. MGMNT (OR THE TRAINING DEPT) HAVE GIVEN US 45 HRS TO TRAIN AND GET CHKED OUT ON THE 2 SECTORS. I TRAINED WITH LITTLE OR NO TFC. AND THEN YOU GOT AN ADDITIONAL 10 HRS IF YOU WERE NOT READY AT 45 HRS. I WAS AT MY 55 HRS (AT WHICH TIME I WAS NOT READY) AND I HAD 2 CHOICES: #1) CHK OUT AND SIGN THE BLUE SHEET; OR #2) GET PULLED FROM TRAINING AND MIGHT HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF A REVIEW BOARD. I HAVE BEEN A CTLR FOR A LOT OF YRS AND FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MY SKILLS AS AN ATC CTLR WHEN I WAS TRAINED THOROUGHLY. I CANNOT SAY THAT NOW. WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO FEEL COMFORTABLE. I WAS PRESSURED TO THINK THAT IF I DID NOT CHK OUT; I WOULD HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF A REVIEW BOARD AND THAT SCARED ME; SO I SIGNED THE BLUE SHEET; HINDSIGHT MAYBE I SHOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED IT; AND FACED THE REVIEW BOARD SO THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THE DIRE SITUATION WE FACE. IT IS IRONIC; BUT 2 DAYS AFTER I WAS CHKED OUT THEY HAD ME DO A CBI-SMS (SAFETY MGMNT SYS); AND IT ALSO HAD US WATCH A VIDEO ON THE 'CHALLENGER' DISASTER. A GENTLEMAN SAID ON THE VIDEO 'THE CHALLENGER DISASTER CAN NEVER BE CALLED AN ACCIDENT. HUMAN LIVES LOST NEEDLESSLY.' I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH THE DANVILLE/KANKAKEE SECTOR COMING TO THE SW AREA; THAT WE ARE BEING RUSHED TO BE CHKED OUT; SO WE CAN TAKE THE SECTOR OVER. AS LONG AS IT CAN BE MOVED FROM THE S TO THE SW; WHO CARES THE AMOUNT OF AIRSPACE IT IS; OR THE COMPLEXITY THAT IT WILL BE IN LATE SPRING; SUMMER; JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. THE ENGINEERS FOR THE CHALLENGER WERE BULLIED INTO AGREEING TO LAUNCH -- REGARDLESS OF THE DATA. I; AS A CTLR FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN BULLIED TO CHK OUT; REGARDLESS IF I AM READY TO WORK THE SECTOR; DANVILLE/KANKAKEE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.