Narrative:

B737 was short final in the landing flare; another aircraft was cleared for takeoff from an intersection 4000 ft down the runway. Clearance delivery heard the takeoff clearance issued and alerted the local controller to cancel the takeoff clearance. Simultaneously the departing aircraft saw the B737 flaring and refused the takeoff instructions. The other aircraft did not cross the hold short line. The problem is we only had 3 people in the tower cabin attendant to work all position. Of the 3; only one was a cpc. The local controller is a newly certified local controller and basically does not have the experience required. Nobody else was available; the supervisor in the TRACON was trying to call in overtime but to no avail. Our manager will not schedule overtime and seems to have no problem staffing the tower with a majority of trainees. I just want to be on record; when we (the FAA) have a catastrophic collision due to staffing; that nobody is listening. The FAA management is in a labor dispute with union and management is willing to prove a point right up to smoking wreckage. The FAA has encouraged the retirement of veteran controllers through pay freezes and various petty vindictive actions. We are at a tipping point; inundated with trainees (many of whom have no experience nor were they screened for aptitude) while simultaneously losing veteran controllers to offset the inexperience. It takes yrs to acquire the sixth sense; the ear to hear a transmission that sounds wrong. My back was turned when he issued the takeoff clearance but I knew something was wrong and turned to stop him. Those 'ears' are being lost rapidly; these raw; inexperienced controllers will be on their own very soon. Is anybody out there listening?

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUS CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR ALERTED LCL CTLR TO DEVELOPING CONFLICT AVERTING AN OPERROR; ALLEGING STAFFING SHORTAGE AS CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: B737 WAS SHORT FINAL IN THE LNDG FLARE; ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM AN INTXN 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY. CLRNC DELIVERY HEARD THE TKOF CLRNC ISSUED AND ALERTED THE LCL CTLR TO CANCEL THE TKOF CLRNC. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE DEPARTING ACFT SAW THE B737 FLARING AND REFUSED THE TKOF INSTRUCTIONS. THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT CROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THE PROB IS WE ONLY HAD 3 PEOPLE IN THE TWR CAB TO WORK ALL POS. OF THE 3; ONLY ONE WAS A CPC. THE LCL CTLR IS A NEWLY CERTIFIED LCL CTLR AND BASICALLY DOES NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. NOBODY ELSE WAS AVAILABLE; THE SUPVR IN THE TRACON WAS TRYING TO CALL IN OVERTIME BUT TO NO AVAIL. OUR MGR WILL NOT SCHEDULE OVERTIME AND SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROB STAFFING THE TWR WITH A MAJORITY OF TRAINEES. I JUST WANT TO BE ON RECORD; WHEN WE (THE FAA) HAVE A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION DUE TO STAFFING; THAT NOBODY IS LISTENING. THE FAA MGMNT IS IN A LABOR DISPUTE WITH UNION AND MGMNT IS WILLING TO PROVE A POINT RIGHT UP TO SMOKING WRECKAGE. THE FAA HAS ENCOURAGED THE RETIREMENT OF VETERAN CTLRS THROUGH PAY FREEZES AND VARIOUS PETTY VINDICTIVE ACTIONS. WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT; INUNDATED WITH TRAINEES (MANY OF WHOM HAVE NO EXPERIENCE NOR WERE THEY SCREENED FOR APTITUDE) WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOSING VETERAN CTLRS TO OFFSET THE INEXPERIENCE. IT TAKES YRS TO ACQUIRE THE SIXTH SENSE; THE EAR TO HEAR A XMISSION THAT SOUNDS WRONG. MY BACK WAS TURNED WHEN HE ISSUED THE TKOF CLRNC BUT I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND TURNED TO STOP HIM. THOSE 'EARS' ARE BEING LOST RAPIDLY; THESE RAW; INEXPERIENCED CTLRS WILL BE ON THEIR OWN VERY SOON. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE LISTENING?

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.