ZDV CTLR EXPERIENCED CONFLICT DURING BUSY TFC PERIOD CITING LACK OF SUFFICIENT CURRENCY TO HANDLE SECTOR AND FACILITY TRAINING POLICY AS FACTORS.
Synopsis
ZDV CTLR EXPERIENCED CONFLICT DURING BUSY TFC PERIOD CITING LACK OF SUFFICIENT CURRENCY TO HANDLE SECTOR AND FACILITY TRAINING POLICY AS FACTORS.
Narrative
I AM CURRENTLY A TRAINING FPL INVOLVED IN ZDV'S ATTEMPT TO RECONFIGURE FROM 5 AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION TO 6. MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF THE TRAINING I HAVE RECEIVED TO DATE IS THAT; IT HAS BEEN VERY POOR AND INCONSISTENT. IN MAY/2006; I WAS CERTIFIED ON DENVER SECTOR 14. BTWN MAY AND THE END OF AUGUST; I WAS AFFORDED LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THE SECTOR I WAS NEWLY CERTIFIED ON. THIS WAS DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF CTLRS TRAINING ON SECTOR 14 AS WELL AS THE NECESSITY OF ME TO STAFF OTHER SECTORS THAT I AM CERTIFIED ON. IN AUGUST; I WAS ASSIGNED 'CURRENCY TIME' ON SECTOR 14. WHEN I RPTED FOR DUTY; I NOTICED THAT THE SECTOR WAS GOING TO BE 'RED' IN 75 MINS. I NOTIFIED THE SUPVR THAT I HAVE HAD LIMITED CHANCES TO WORK THE SECTOR SINCE I HAD BEEN CERTIFIED AND THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF I MOVED TO THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS AND A MORE EXPERIENCED CTLR TAKE THE RADAR. THE SUPVR CONCURRED WITH MY OPINION AND PLANNED ACCORDINGLY. AT SOME POINT; THE FIRST SUPVR I HAD SPOKEN TO WAS RELIEVED AND A NEW SUPVR TOOK OVER. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; THE RELIEVING SUPVR WAS BRIEFED AS TO THE SITUATION ON SECTOR 14. AT APPROX 75 MINS INTO MY SESSION ON SECTOR 14 RADAR; A TRAINING TEAM WAS ASSIGNED TO SECTOR 14 RADAR ASSOCIATE POS. I WAS EXPECTED TO WORK THE 'RED' PERIOD ON SECTOR 14 RADAR DESPITE WHAT HAD PREVIOUSLY TRANSPIRED BTWN MYSELF AND THE SUPVR. BY NOW; THE SECTOR WAS BEING IMPACTED BY TSTMS; AND BY THE TIME I WAS RELIEVED THE SECTOR BECAME COMPLETELY UNMANAGEABLE. THERE WAS A HVY ARR RUSH GOING ON WITH NUMEROUS WX DEVS. WE RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE FROM TFC MGMNT OR SURROUNDING SECTORS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE ONE CONFLICT BTWN A DENVER ARRIVING ACFT AND AN OVERFLT ACFT; I INADVERTENTLY DSNDED THE DEN ARR INTO CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER OVERFLT ACFT. THE PLT OVER THE OVERFLT DID RPT RECEIVING AN RA BUT; SEPARATION WAS NOT LOST. THE SEQUENCE FOR THE DENVER ARRIVING ACFT WAS POORLY HANDLED BY ME. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY I HAD TO BECOME MORE EXPERIENCED AND PROFICIENT ON SECTOR 14 RADAR. THE ZDV PLAN REQUIRED CTLRS TO STAY CURRENT AND PROFICIENT ON 12 SECTORS; TO TRAIN AND BE TRAINED ON THE SAME SHIFT; TO TRAIN ON EXTENDED PERIODS OF LOW VOLUME TFC IN ORDER TO 'GET TIME.' I HAVE EXPRESSED MY PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS TO VARIOUS MEMBERS OF MGMNT AT ZDV. THIS HAS NOT CHANGED THE MANNER IN WHICH TRAINING IS BEING CONDUCTED. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; MGMNT INTENDS TO 'FLIP THE SWITCH' ON AREA 6 IN JAN/2007. I CONTEND THIS WILL RESULT IN A SERIOUS DEGRADATION OF SAFETY AT ZDV.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.