CVG CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY POLICY WITH RESPECT TO STAFFING CERTAIN OPS POS WITH SUPVRS.

2005-02 · NASA ASRS report 650272

Date: 2005-02 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: approach

Anomalies: other-supervisor-fac-policy

Synopsis

CVG CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY POLICY WITH RESPECT TO STAFFING CERTAIN OPS POS WITH SUPVRS.

Narrative

SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL AND SOME TFC MGMNT PERSONNEL; NEITHER OF WHICH ARE PROFICIENT ON ARR POS (4 POS) AT CVG; ARE WORKING ARR COORDINATOR POS DURING ARR PUSHES. DURING THESE PUSHES; OCCASIONALLY THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TURNING OFF; OR OTHERWISE MAKING UNVIEWABLE; EQUIP THAT IS USED TO INDICATE TO ARR CTLRS WHAT KIND OF DEP TFC IS WAITING AT THE RWYS. WE CALL THIS THE 'APM.' ALSO; IN TRYING TO DO A FLOW CTLR'S JOB; THEY ARE NEGLECTING DUTIES THEY SHOULD BE DOING AS 'COORDINATORS.' DURING THE XA00 PUSH TONIGHT; I WAS WORKING W FINAL AT CVG. DEP DEMAND WAS INDICATED ON THE COMPUTER MONITOR DOWN THE AISLE. THE SUPVR INSTRUCTED ME THAT 4 MI GAPS WERE NEEDED TO GET 1 DEP OFF RWY 27. I STARTED RUNNING 4 MI GAPS; BUT THEN DECREASED THE SIZE OF THE GAPS TO 3 - 3.5 MI. THE CTL TWR WAS SUCCESSFUL IN DEPARTING ACFT IN THESE GAPS; SO I KEPT THE GAPS AT THAT SIZE. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE APM ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE PUSH AND SAW HIGHER NUMBERS OF DEPS WAITING AT THE RWY. I STARTED INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE GAPS TO 7-10 MI TO HELP THE TWR GET A FEW MORE DEPS OFF THE ARPT; THEN SETTLED BACK INTO 3 - 3.5 MI GAPS. AFTER THAT; I WAS INSTRUCTED -- IN FACT ORDERED -- TO GIVE THE TWR 5 MI GAPS. I EXPLAINED THAT 3 - 3.5 MI WAS WORKING FINE. THE APM WAS THEN TURNED OFF; SO I COULD NO LONGER SEE WHAT KIND OF DEP TFC WAS AT THE RWYS; AND WHEN I MOVED MY CHAIR BACK TO CHK THE DEP DEMAND (ON A SECOND; SMALLER MONITOR FOR THE TMC); THE SUPVR PHYSICALLY STOOD IN FRONT OF ME SO I COULDN'T SEE. AFTER RUNNING SEVERAL GAPS; I WAS TOLD TO BEGIN 'PACKING' (IE; RUNNING ARRS AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE ON FINAL) THE RWY ONCE AGAIN. THIS KIND OF ACTION ON THE ARPT NOT ONLY WASTES ARR AND DEP GAPS; BUT COSTS THE USERS OF THE ARPT MONEY IN RWY EFFICIENCY. HAD I STUCK WITH THE 3 - 3.5 MI GAPS ON FINAL; THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN ARRS AND DEPS EQUAL USE OF THE ARPT; AND WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. IN ADDITION; REMOVING A TOOL THAT ASSISTS CTLRS IN USING THE ARPT TO ITS POTENTIAL IS INSANE. HAD I BEEN ABLE TO RUN THE GAPS THAT WERE WORKING; INSTEAD OF RUNNING EXCESSIVE GAPS WITH NO DEPS AT THE RWY; I COULD THEN TIGHTEN ARRS UP WHEN NEEDED. SEEING MORE DEPS WAITING AT THE RWY WOULD RESULT IN ME RUNNING BIGGER HOLES FOR DEP TFC AND; THEREFORE; AGAIN USING THE ARPT RWYS TO THEIR MAX POTENTIAL. WHEN SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL RUN THE COORDINATOR POS; THEY SPEND ALMOST NO TIME BEHIND SCOPES THAT ARR CTLRS ARE USING. AT TIMES; WHEN ADJACENT FACILITIES ARE TRYING TO COORD WITH ARR CTLRS; THESE PERSONNEL ARE NOT IN POS TO ANSWER THE LINES. THEREFORE; THE VERY JOB THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IS BEING PUT BACK INTO THE LAP OF CTLRS WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THEIR JOB LOADS LESSENED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE 'COORDINATOR.'

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

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