SUPVR CTLR PROFICIENCY IS SAFETY PROB.

Date: 1993-06

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

SUPVR CTLR PROFICIENCY IS SAFETY PROB.

Narrative

WAS WORKING MLC HI RADAR WITH A MANUAL CTLR. WE WERE ADVISED OUR SECTOR WAS 'YELLOW' AND 1 MORE ACFT WOULD PUT US IN THE 'RED.' THE COLORS ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF TFC DENSITY AS STATED BY OUR TFC MGMNT UNIT. MY MANUAL CTLR WAS OFF LINE FOR A LONG TIME IN A HEATED CONVERSATION WITH THE SECTOR NEXT TO US. I NEEDED HIS HELP SO I TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED SO WE COULD GET ON WITH THE JOB AT HAND. I THEN FOUND OUT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE WAS A SUPVR; WHO WORKS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME WITH LIVE TFC WHICH IS 16 HRS A MONTH. SINCE THEIR PROFICIENCY IS LOW WE HAVE A CTR DIRECTIVE THAT STATES SUPVRS OR STAFF THAT MAINTAIN MINIMUM PROFICIENCY SHALL NOT WORK MODERATE OR GREATER TFC. OUR SECTOR WAS BUSY AND MOST OF OUR TFC WAS GOING TO THEIR SECTOR SO THEY WERE GOING TO BE GREATER THAN MODERATE. I INFORMED MY SUPVR THAT NOT ONLY WAS THE NEXT SECTOR OPERATING IN CONTRADICTION TO A DIRECTIVE; BUT THE INDIVIDUALS' INABILITY TO WORK IN A COOPERATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER WAS MAKING OUR OP MUCH LESS SAFE. MY SUPVR IGNORED ME; SINCE TELLING ANOTHER SUPVR THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN OVER THEIR HEAD WOULD BE A DELICATE SIT TO HANDLE. WHILE WE MADE IT THROUGH THIS TIME; IT WASN'T AS SMOOTH AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN. EVEN THOUGH I HAD DONE MORE THAN MY JOB IN INFORMING MY SUPVR OF THE SIT IF AN ERROR WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IT STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FAULT. THIS WAS AND STILL IS AN UNNECESSARY DISTR.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.