Narrative:

I arrived for work around XH50. I signed in and asked the front line manager what my assignment was. He had been at work since XA00 that morning. He told me that he was not sure because he had not gotten around to looking at what the staffing would be like. I was assigned to work the tower at XI30 and I asked what my staffing was going to be. He told me he was not sure. I was told around XI45 that I would be the controller in charge all night and that I would have 4 developmental controllers up in the tower with me. These young people are inexperienced and cannot be in charge of the tower since they are only checked out on a few position. I asked the front line manager if they planned to send another full performance level controller up to the tower to help out and give me a break if I need one. They told me that they would try but that the facility was short staffed. They told me that the operations manager instructed them that they were not allowed to call in overtime. Around XN30 the facility became extremely busy with numerous aircraft that diverted to mci airport. This made it more complex because of the amount of air traffic and the number of inexperienced controllers. Numerous controllers were forced to work over 2 hours on position; handling all these flts because the facility was improperly staffed. I was on position for 2 hours 46 mins. This has been happening on a daily basis; and I believe it is a recipe for disaster. FAA management knows the staffing problem we have; but they either deny it or refuse to do anything about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR DESCRIBED MIN STAFFING EVENT; ALLEGING CONTINUED SHORTAGES AS A SAFETY CONCERN.

Narrative: I ARRIVED FOR WORK AROUND XH50. I SIGNED IN AND ASKED THE FRONT LINE MGR WHAT MY ASSIGNMENT WAS. HE HAD BEEN AT WORK SINCE XA00 THAT MORNING. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS NOT SURE BECAUSE HE HAD NOT GOTTEN AROUND TO LOOKING AT WHAT THE STAFFING WOULD BE LIKE. I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK THE TWR AT XI30 AND I ASKED WHAT MY STAFFING WAS GOING TO BE. HE TOLD ME HE WAS NOT SURE. I WAS TOLD AROUND XI45 THAT I WOULD BE THE CIC ALL NIGHT AND THAT I WOULD HAVE 4 DEVELOPMENTAL CTLRS UP IN THE TWR WITH ME. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INEXPERIENCED AND CANNOT BE IN CHARGE OF THE TWR SINCE THEY ARE ONLY CHKED OUT ON A FEW POS. I ASKED THE FRONT LINE MGR IF THEY PLANNED TO SEND ANOTHER FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CTLR UP TO THE TWR TO HELP OUT AND GIVE ME A BREAK IF I NEED ONE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD TRY BUT THAT THE FACILITY WAS SHORT STAFFED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE OPS MGR INSTRUCTED THEM THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CALL IN OVERTIME. AROUND XN30 THE FACILITY BECAME EXTREMELY BUSY WITH NUMEROUS ACFT THAT DIVERTED TO MCI ARPT. THIS MADE IT MORE COMPLEX BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF AIR TFC AND THE NUMBER OF INEXPERIENCED CTLRS. NUMEROUS CTLRS WERE FORCED TO WORK OVER 2 HRS ON POS; HANDLING ALL THESE FLTS BECAUSE THE FACILITY WAS IMPROPERLY STAFFED. I WAS ON POS FOR 2 HRS 46 MINS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON A DAILY BASIS; AND I BELIEVE IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. FAA MGMNT KNOWS THE STAFFING PROB WE HAVE; BUT THEY EITHER DENY IT OR REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

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.