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Inadequate staffing at commercial radio.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 111581 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Fri |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| ASRS Report | 111581 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I am concerned about the inadequate staff at the chicago communications center of commercial radio. The center handles communications that are critical to aviation safety. ATC messages are switched by this center to/from ATC centers in oak, anc, nyc, mia, sju. WX forecasts are distributed by this center. Communications between the commercial airline industry and the nadin in atl and slc are handled by this center. The ACARS is controled by this center as is the air/ground communications between the industry and commercial radio operators in nyc, sfo, hnl, sju. The staff at the center was drastically reduced several yrs ago. Since that time the company has scheduled overtime on a month by month basis in an effort to provide minimum coverage. However, sick calls are rarely covered. An operator who's relief calls in sick, or who has not been scheduled a relief, is forced to remain at his vdt for 16 consecutive hours. This happens about 40 times a year. We have expressed to management our concern that a critical alarm may be overlooked or misinterpreted on these occasions. We were reminded of the direct relationship between commercial radio's services and the safety of life and property in the air. We were warned that inattn would not be tolerated and could result in disciplinary action. We were unable to make our point. The employees feel that this situation is conducive to misfortune.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INADEQUATE STAFFING AT COMMERCIAL RADIO.
Narrative: I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE INADEQUATE STAFF AT THE CHICAGO COMS CENTER OF COMMERCIAL RADIO. THE CENTER HANDLES COMS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO AVIATION SAFETY. ATC MESSAGES ARE SWITCHED BY THIS CENTER TO/FROM ATC CENTERS IN OAK, ANC, NYC, MIA, SJU. WX FORECASTS ARE DISTRIBUTED BY THIS CENTER. COMS BTWN THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY AND THE NADIN IN ATL AND SLC ARE HANDLED BY THIS CENTER. THE ACARS IS CTLED BY THIS CENTER AS IS THE AIR/GND COMS BTWN THE INDUSTRY AND COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS IN NYC, SFO, HNL, SJU. THE STAFF AT THE CENTER WAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED SEVERAL YRS AGO. SINCE THAT TIME THE COMPANY HAS SCHEDULED OVERTIME ON A MONTH BY MONTH BASIS IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE MINIMUM COVERAGE. HOWEVER, SICK CALLS ARE RARELY COVERED. AN OPERATOR WHO'S RELIEF CALLS IN SICK, OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED A RELIEF, IS FORCED TO REMAIN AT HIS VDT FOR 16 CONSECUTIVE HRS. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 40 TIMES A YEAR. WE HAVE EXPRESSED TO MGMNT OUR CONCERN THAT A CRITICAL ALARM MAY BE OVERLOOKED OR MISINTERPRETED ON THESE OCCASIONS. WE WERE REMINDED OF THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BTWN COMMERCIAL RADIO'S SVCS AND THE SAFETY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN THE AIR. WE WERE WARNED THAT INATTN WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED AND COULD RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION. WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE OUR POINT. THE EMPLOYEES FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION IS CONDUCIVE TO MISFORTUNE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.