Narrative:

This report does not deal with a specific single incident. Instead if is a notification of a chronic hazardous condition. Des moines ATC tower/TRACON suffers from inadequate staffing, particularly on the mid watch (11PM to 6AM, +/-). 1 full performance level controller is used for staffing--1! Dsm is a very busy cargo hub after 11PM. Traffic comes in spurts and departs in the same fashion. With clear skies and all navaids up, this is a hectic affair at best. With any WX (eg, thunderstorms, snow, etc) all thoughts of running a safe operation are moot. During the mid the center computer is usually down, increasing controller workload. All vectoring is done from an antiquated BRITE scope that is so out of tune, so out of focus as to be unusable. With only 1 controller on duty, breaks are impossible. This makes for very tired, very unsafe controllers. Often by 5 am, when the am rush begins, the sole controller is working local, ground and radar, having gone west/O sleep for 24 hours (trying to sleep before a mid shift is impossible for many). FAA mgt has been notified many times. They see no problem. Providing standard sep and service is impossible under current conditions. This unsafe situation is being ignored. This report reflects the opinion of several air traffic controllers at dsm. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that the # of aircraft worked on the midnight shift is not extremely high, but all the operations happen in clusters. The principal operation is cargo of all kinds. The aircraft that haul this cargo meet in dsm and exchange for various destinations. This causes them to all arrive and depart at the same time. At these times it is very nearly impossible for 1 controller to handle everything smoothly and west/O causing delays and sometimes an uncontrolled, unsafe situation. The facility is shorthanded, with 18 fpls and 12 deviations in various stages of training. The facility complement calls for 28 fpls. This apparent lack of personnel has caused facility mgt to be less than enthusiastic about putting another controller on the mid shift. It was suggested that reporter make a formal suggestion concerning additional shifts, such as 0500 to 1300 and 1800 to 0100. Reporter's reply was these shifts would be very unpopular with the controllers. There does not seem to be a ready solution to this problem until some of the deviations and facility qualified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CTLR CITES INADEQUATE STAFFING ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT.

Narrative: THIS RPT DOES NOT DEAL WITH A SPECIFIC SINGLE INCIDENT. INSTEAD IF IS A NOTIFICATION OF A CHRONIC HAZARDOUS CONDITION. DES MOINES ATC TWR/TRACON SUFFERS FROM INADEQUATE STAFFING, PARTICULARLY ON THE MID WATCH (11PM TO 6AM, +/-). 1 FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CTLR IS USED FOR STAFFING--1! DSM IS A VERY BUSY CARGO HUB AFTER 11PM. TFC COMES IN SPURTS AND DEPARTS IN THE SAME FASHION. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND ALL NAVAIDS UP, THIS IS A HECTIC AFFAIR AT BEST. WITH ANY WX (EG, TSTMS, SNOW, ETC) ALL THOUGHTS OF RUNNING A SAFE OPERATION ARE MOOT. DURING THE MID THE CENTER COMPUTER IS USUALLY DOWN, INCREASING CTLR WORKLOAD. ALL VECTORING IS DONE FROM AN ANTIQUATED BRITE SCOPE THAT IS SO OUT OF TUNE, SO OUT OF FOCUS AS TO BE UNUSABLE. WITH ONLY 1 CTLR ON DUTY, BREAKS ARE IMPOSSIBLE. THIS MAKES FOR VERY TIRED, VERY UNSAFE CTLRS. OFTEN BY 5 AM, WHEN THE AM RUSH BEGINS, THE SOLE CTLR IS WORKING LCL, GND AND RADAR, HAVING GONE W/O SLEEP FOR 24 HRS (TRYING TO SLEEP BEFORE A MID SHIFT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR MANY). FAA MGT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES. THEY SEE NO PROB. PROVIDING STANDARD SEP AND SVC IS IMPOSSIBLE UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS. THIS UNSAFE SITUATION IS BEING IGNORED. THIS RPT REFLECTS THE OPINION OF SEVERAL AIR TFC CTLRS AT DSM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE # OF ACFT WORKED ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT IS NOT EXTREMELY HIGH, BUT ALL THE OPS HAPPEN IN CLUSTERS. THE PRINCIPAL OPERATION IS CARGO OF ALL KINDS. THE ACFT THAT HAUL THIS CARGO MEET IN DSM AND EXCHANGE FOR VARIOUS DESTINATIONS. THIS CAUSES THEM TO ALL ARRIVE AND DEPART AT THE SAME TIME. AT THESE TIMES IT IS VERY NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR 1 CTLR TO HANDLE EVERYTHING SMOOTHLY AND W/O CAUSING DELAYS AND SOMETIMES AN UNCONTROLLED, UNSAFE SITUATION. THE FAC IS SHORTHANDED, WITH 18 FPLS AND 12 DEVIATIONS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF TRNING. THE FAC COMPLEMENT CALLS FOR 28 FPLS. THIS APPARENT LACK OF PERSONNEL HAS CAUSED FAC MGT TO BE LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT PUTTING ANOTHER CTLR ON THE MID SHIFT. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT RPTR MAKE A FORMAL SUGGESTION CONCERNING ADDITIONAL SHIFTS, SUCH AS 0500 TO 1300 AND 1800 TO 0100. RPTR'S REPLY WAS THESE SHIFTS WOULD BE VERY UNPOPULAR WITH THE CTLRS. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A READY SOLUTION TO THIS PROB UNTIL SOME OF THE DEVS AND FAC QUALIFIED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.