RPTR STATES WHEN A SUPVR IS SCHEDULED THERE ARE 4 CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT. WHEN A CIC IS SCHEDULED THERE ARE 3 CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT TO COVER THE 4 CTL POS IN THE TWR.

Date: 1996-07

Anomalies: other-no-specific-anomaly-occurred

Synopsis

RPTR STATES WHEN A SUPVR IS SCHEDULED THERE ARE 4 CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT. WHEN A CIC IS SCHEDULED THERE ARE 3 CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT TO COVER THE 4 CTL POS IN THE TWR.

Narrative

PDX ATCT IS A LEVEL IV RADAR CAB WITH 4 OPERATING POS. LCL CTLR; GND CTLR; CD AND PD (PEARSON ARPT). WHEN A SUPVR IS WORKING THE SCHEDULE IS NEVER BELOW 4 FPL'S AND THE SUPVR. ON THE DAYS IN QUESTION; THERE IS NO SUPVR; AND THE SCHEDULE IS COVERED BY A CIC AND 3 FPL'S. WE HAVE ASKED THAT STAFFING BE INCREASED AND THAT THIS LOWER NUMBER NOT BE USED WITH A CIC. AFTER PP18 WAS PUBLISHED MR. X ASSURED US THIS WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN YET THE VERY NEXT SCHEDULE (PP19) THE VERY SAME THING HAPPENED. WITH ONLY 4 BODIES AND 4 POS WE ARE FORCED TO COMBINE POS TO GET EVEN A BATHROOM BREAK; LET ALONE LUNCH. MOST TIMES THE POS ARE TOO BUSY TO BE SAFELY COMBINED; BUT WE MUST DO IT ANYWAY; OR SPEND THE ENTIRE 8 HRS ON POS WITHOUT A BREAK. WE HAVE TRIED FOR 8 YRS AT THIS FACILITY TO AFFECT A CHANGE TO THIS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE POLICY; BUT HAVE FAILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE NEW POS IN THE TWR IS TFC ADVISORY TO USERS OF AN ADJACENT ARPT DUE TO A NEW APCH PROC WHICH OVERFLIES IT. RPTR SAID THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY FACILITY MGMNT THAT A SHIFT COVERAGE OF 3 CTLRS AND A CIC WOULD NOT BE SCHEDULED. RPTR INDICATED THAT WHEN IT WAS SCHEDULED; THEY WERE TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT AND THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. RPTR STATED THAT THE FACILITY AMO COVERED 2 OF THE SCHEDULED CIC/3 CTLR SHIFTS. RPTR FELT ADDITIONAL STAFFING IS NEEDED FOR COVERAGE OF THE NEW ADVISORY POS SINCE THERE ARE 4 CTL POS IN TWR. RPTR INDICATED A WAIT AND SEE ATTITUDE REGARDING STAFFING OF FUTURE SHIFT SCHEDULES.

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