Narrative:

When I reported for duty; I was informed by the facility manager; mr X; that I would be working the last 5 hours of the shift by myself. I informed mr X that I had experienced insomnia the previous night and had only approximately 3 hours of broken sleep in the previous 36 hours. I also informed mr X that I physically felt exhausted due to lack of sleep and the only reason I had not called in sick was because I had been informed by the FAA that lack of sleep is not considered a valid reason to approve sick leave. Mr X told me that he had not been able to get anyone for overtime and that I would just have to work the shift anyway. He also stated that he would be in the tower to help me along with a trainee. Mr X; who is not certified on any position of operation; had himself signed on the controller in charge position for the entire shift. Just prior to the other cpc departing at the end of his shift around XA00; mr X afforded me a break. From that time; I worked on position for 5 hours. There was a trainee who was certified on clearance delivery and ground control that did work until XC00. This individual was of help and was given breaks by mr X. During these 5 hours I worked very slowly and deliberately so as to avoid any mistakes. Occasionally; I was shaking from lack of rest. For the first 5 hours of my shift; I did not drink any liquids so that I would not need a restroom break. I would characterize the traffic as slow to moderately busy with a few sits that required my intense attention to prevent error. At my busiest; I encountered a VFR overflt pilot who had no knowledge of the dfw class B airspace boundaries. The pilot entered the ads class D airspace headed for class B airspace before I could identify his position and issue an instruction to turn away from class B and to contact the radar controller. As staffing at ads is at its lowest in yrs. I can only expect that this type occurrence will continue at least occasionally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ADS CTLR DESCRIBED MINIMALLY STAFFED SHIFT THAT RESULTED IN 5 HOURS ON POSITION.

Narrative: WHEN I RPTED FOR DUTY; I WAS INFORMED BY THE FACILITY MGR; MR X; THAT I WOULD BE WORKING THE LAST 5 HRS OF THE SHIFT BY MYSELF. I INFORMED MR X THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED INSOMNIA THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND HAD ONLY APPROX 3 HRS OF BROKEN SLEEP IN THE PREVIOUS 36 HRS. I ALSO INFORMED MR X THAT I PHYSICALLY FELT EXHAUSTED DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP AND THE ONLY REASON I HAD NOT CALLED IN SICK WAS BECAUSE I HAD BEEN INFORMED BY THE FAA THAT LACK OF SLEEP IS NOT CONSIDERED A VALID REASON TO APPROVE SICK LEAVE. MR X TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET ANYONE FOR OVERTIME AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO WORK THE SHIFT ANYWAY. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE WOULD BE IN THE TWR TO HELP ME ALONG WITH A TRAINEE. MR X; WHO IS NOT CERTIFIED ON ANY POS OF OP; HAD HIMSELF SIGNED ON THE CIC POS FOR THE ENTIRE SHIFT. JUST PRIOR TO THE OTHER CPC DEPARTING AT THE END OF HIS SHIFT AROUND XA00; MR X AFFORDED ME A BREAK. FROM THAT TIME; I WORKED ON POS FOR 5 HRS. THERE WAS A TRAINEE WHO WAS CERTIFIED ON CLRNC DELIVERY AND GND CTL THAT DID WORK UNTIL XC00. THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS OF HELP AND WAS GIVEN BREAKS BY MR X. DURING THESE 5 HRS I WORKED VERY SLOWLY AND DELIBERATELY SO AS TO AVOID ANY MISTAKES. OCCASIONALLY; I WAS SHAKING FROM LACK OF REST. FOR THE FIRST 5 HRS OF MY SHIFT; I DID NOT DRINK ANY LIQUIDS SO THAT I WOULD NOT NEED A RESTROOM BREAK. I WOULD CHARACTERIZE THE TFC AS SLOW TO MODERATELY BUSY WITH A FEW SITS THAT REQUIRED MY INTENSE ATTN TO PREVENT ERROR. AT MY BUSIEST; I ENCOUNTERED A VFR OVERFLT PLT WHO HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DFW CLASS B AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES. THE PLT ENTERED THE ADS CLASS D AIRSPACE HEADED FOR CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE I COULD IDENT HIS POS AND ISSUE AN INSTRUCTION TO TURN AWAY FROM CLASS B AND TO CONTACT THE RADAR CTLR. AS STAFFING AT ADS IS AT ITS LOWEST IN YRS. I CAN ONLY EXPECT THAT THIS TYPE OCCURRENCE WILL CONTINUE AT LEAST OCCASIONALLY.

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.