Narrative:

During a departure push from cle with scattered thunderstorms in the area; the supervisor decided to combine the yng sector and the dkk sector because of the lack of staffing for the evening shift. The combined sector was staffed with a trainee; an assistant; and myself the trainer. With 2 sectors and 2 frequencys the sector combination soon became difficult to manage. The trainee struggled with frequency changes while aircraft from the 2 frequencys checked in and covered one another. Numerous crossing situations needed to have altitudes amended while aircraft checked in and covered clrncs. Needless to say; this confusing situation would have been difficult for myself; let alone a trainee with only several hours on the sector. ZOB management routinely refuses to call overtime to staff already depleted controller numbers necessary to operate an area. D-side position are left unmanned when they normally would have been manned to assist a busy sector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOB CTLR DESCRIBED BUSY OJT SESSION WHEN LACK OF STAFFING MADE OPERATION OF COMBINED SECTOR VERY DIFFICULT.

Narrative: DURING A DEP PUSH FROM CLE WITH SCATTERED TSTMS IN THE AREA; THE SUPVR DECIDED TO COMBINE THE YNG SECTOR AND THE DKK SECTOR BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF STAFFING FOR THE EVENING SHIFT. THE COMBINED SECTOR WAS STAFFED WITH A TRAINEE; AN ASSISTANT; AND MYSELF THE TRAINER. WITH 2 SECTORS AND 2 FREQS THE SECTOR COMBINATION SOON BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. THE TRAINEE STRUGGLED WITH FREQ CHANGES WHILE ACFT FROM THE 2 FREQS CHKED IN AND COVERED ONE ANOTHER. NUMEROUS XING SITUATIONS NEEDED TO HAVE ALTS AMENDED WHILE ACFT CHKED IN AND COVERED CLRNCS. NEEDLESS TO SAY; THIS CONFUSING SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR MYSELF; LET ALONE A TRAINEE WITH ONLY SEVERAL HRS ON THE SECTOR. ZOB MGMNT ROUTINELY REFUSES TO CALL OVERTIME TO STAFF ALREADY DEPLETED CTLR NUMBERS NECESSARY TO OPERATE AN AREA. D-SIDE POS ARE LEFT UNMANNED WHEN THEY NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN MANNED TO ASSIST A BUSY SECTOR.

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.