MEM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING MGMNT'S TIMING OF A SUPVR MEETING DURING BUSY/COMPLEX TFC AND CHANGING WX CONDITIONS.
Synopsis
MEM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING MGMNT'S TIMING OF A SUPVR MEETING DURING BUSY/COMPLEX TFC AND CHANGING WX CONDITIONS.
Narrative
I WAS ASSIGNED TO BE DEP COORDINATOR BY A CIC. ALL MGMNT OFFICIALS; INCLUDING SUPVRS AND OPS MGRS; WERE IN A MEETING AND CTLR STAFFING WAS SHORT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS IN AND AROUND THE MEMPHIS APCH CTL AIRSPACE THAT WERE FORMING; DISSIPATING; AND REFORMING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. COORD WAS NECESSARY WITH ALL SECTORS OF MEMPHIS ENRTE CTR THAT BORDERED OUR AIRSPACE. DUE TO THE EVER CHANGING WX; THE COORD WAS CONSTANT AND ALWAYS CHANGING. SHORTLY AFTER TAKING THE DEP COORDINATOR POS; I REQUESTED TO HAVE THE DEP COORDINATOR POS SPLIT INTO A W DEP COORDINATOR AND AN E DEP COORDINATOR. THE CIC APPROVED THIS; AND I WAS SOON ONLY HANDLING E DEP COORDINATOR. I WAS COORDINATING WITH THE E TWR CTLR AND THE EASTERN ZMP SECTORS; ANOTHER CTLR WAS COORDINATING WITH THE W TWR CTLR AND THE WESTERN ZMP SECTORS; AND THE CIC WAS COORDINATING WITH ZMP REGARDING ARRS INTO MEMPHIS INTL ARPT. AT ABOUT XA30; A SUPVR ENTERED THE TRACON AND RELIEVED THE CIC. UNFORTUNATELY; THE SUPVR MUST NOT HAVE TRULY GRASPED THE SITUATION BECAUSE HE IMMEDIATELY OPENED A FINAL POS; LEAVING THE TRACON WITH NO SUPERVISION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE WIND SHIFTED FROM APPROX 190 DEGS AT 12 KTS TO 340 DEGS AT 25 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 43 KTS. THE TWR COORDINATOR CALLED THE TRACON VIA LAND LINE AND INTERCOM TO COORDINATE A RWY CHANGE; BUT NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO MAKE THIS COORD. EVENTUALLY; THE SUPVR HAD ANOTHER CTLR RELIEVE ME; SO I COULD GET HIM OFF THE FINAL POS. THIS IS WHEN THE SUPVR HAD THE PROXIMITY EVENT. THE SUPVR THEN DECIDED THAT HE WOULD CLOSE THE FINAL POS; AND HE HAD ME COORDINATE A RWY CHANGE WITH THE TWR. APPROX 20 MINS AFTER THE WIND SHIFT; WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE RWYS ACCORDINGLY. DUE TO THIS DELAY; NUMEROUS ACFT WENT MISSED APCH; REENTERING AIRSPACE THAT WAS ALREADY TOO CROWDED. I BELIEVE THAT POOR DECISION MAKING ON THE PART OF THE MGMNT TEAM AT MEMPHIS TWR AND TRACON PUT ACFT AND CTLRS IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. BY CONTINUING A MEETING WHEN STAFFING WAS SHORT AND TSTMS WERE IN AND AROUND THE AIRSPACE; THE LCL AGENCY OFFICIALS CHOSE TO JEOPARDIZE SAFETY. WHEN A SUPVR DID FINALLY ARRIVE; THE SITUATION WAS SO SERIOUS THAT MORE THAN 1 EMPLOYEE WAS NECESSARY TO FIX IT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.