RPTR AT IND TWR AND APCH CLAIMS MGMNT DOES NOT CALL CTLRS TO OVERTIME WHEN STAFFING IS SHORT.

Date: 2000-06

Anomalies: other-overtime-use

Synopsis

RPTR AT IND TWR AND APCH CLAIMS MGMNT DOES NOT CALL CTLRS TO OVERTIME WHEN STAFFING IS SHORT.

Narrative

ON JUN/XA/00; STAFFING AT IND ATCT REACHED CRITICAL LEVELS. A SHIFT MEANT TO BE STAFFED WITH 12 CTLRS AND 2 SUPVRS WAS LEFT WITH FAR LESS. AS NUMBERS CONTINUED DOWN BELOW ACCEPTABLE LEVELS; MGMNT AT IND ATCT IGNORED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE; A SUPVR STAYED IN THE FACILITY FOR MORE THAN 10 HRS (VIOLATING CFR'S) ALTHOUGH LOGS WILL NOT SHOW THIS; VFR SVCS WERE CURTAILED; AND SAFETY WAS UNNECESSARILY COMPROMISED. AT XA00; STAFFING DICTATES THAT 2 CTLRS START. ONLY 1 MADE IT IN. AT XB00; 5 MORE ARE TO JOIN THEM; BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 7. AT XB00 ONLY 3 CTLRS WERE IN THE BUILDING. TYPICALLY; AT XB00; AT LEAST 5 OPERATING POS ARE OPEN. THE INTENT IS TO HAVE A BODY ON BREAK IN THE TWR OP (NORMALLY 4 OF THE 7 PEOPLE UPSTAIRS); AND 1 IN THE RADAR ROOM (WHERE 1 OR 2 RADAR POS CAN BE OPEN; AND A DATA CTLR AS AN OPTION). WITH ONLY 3 CTLRS IN THE BUILDING; ALL 3 WERE ASSIGNED TO THE TWR OP. A SUPVR WHO HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR THE PREVIOUS SHIFT WORKED TFC UNTIL FURTHER RELIEF CAME IN AT XC00. THE INTENT OF THE CTLRS THAT COME IN AT XC00 IS TO ADD POS THAT SEEM TO GET BUSIER AS PLTS BEGIN TO TAKE TO THE AIR. THE CONTRACT FOR CTLRS STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT CTLRS IN THE LAST 2 HRS OF THEIR SHIFT SHOULD BE ASSIGNED ONLY DATA (NON CTL) FUNCTIONS IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE. THIS IS TO PREVENT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN AWAKE FOR (POTENTIALLY) MANY HOURS TO STAY AWAY FROM HAVING TO MAKE SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS WHILE VERY TIRED. HAVING A SUPVR DO THIS CONTRADICTS COMMON SENSE. AS BODIES CONTINUED TO COME INTO THE FACILITY AT XE00 AND XF00; POS WERE OPENED PROPERLY (ALBEIT LATE). A FACILITY MANDATE BY THE AIR TFC MGR REQUIRES A SUPERVISORY POS IN THE CTL TWR FOR DAYLIGHT HRS. SUPVRS RARELY PERFORM SUPERVISORY FUNCTIONS IN THE TWR BECAUSE SUPERVISORY STAFFING IS ALSO INADEQUATE FOR IND'S OP; THUS LEAVING CIC'S IN THE TWR. THE CIC POS MANDATE WAS IGNORED SINCE NO BODIES WERE AVAILABLE TO OPEN IT. AT IND; UNLESS THERE IS A HIGH PROFILE EVENT OCCURRING (SUCH AS THE INDIANAPOLIS 500); WHEN THE WORD 'OVERTIME' IS MENTIONED; THE WORD 'SAFETY' IS IGNORED. THE FUNCTION OF THIS CIC POS IS TO BE ANOTHER SET OF EYES IN THE TWR CAB TO HELP REDUCE THE CHANCE OF RWY INCURSIONS; ETC. SINCE ITS INCEPTION AFTER SEVERAL RWY INCURSIONS AT THIS TOWER; RWY INCURSIONS HAVE ALL BUT DISAPPEARED. IN THE TRACON OP; THE SUPERVISORY FUNCTION IS SIMILAR. TO OBSERVE THE OP; COORDINATE BTWN POS; AND EVEN TO DO MUNDANE TASKS AS ANSWER THE PHONE. THIS FUNCTION WAS ALSO LEFT OUT THIS SATURDAY SINCE EVERYBODY HAD TO BE USED TO MOVE AIRPLANES.

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