ATC facility staffing problem.

Attributes
ACN	229702
Time
Date	199212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dca
State Reference	DC
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fty
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	229702
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

During a 30 min time period, the final 1 and 2 sectors became saturated. At approximately X am both sectors were not accepting traffic in an effort to avoid having an operational error. Both sectors were combined with other sectors as staffing at dca does not permit opening all sectors when needed. There was no area manager in the TRACON. Dca was in a 1 runway south confign. Traffic management initiatives were inadequate. There were no traffic management personnel available. This was an unsafe situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC FACILITY STAFFING PROB.

Narrative: DURING A 30 MIN TIME PERIOD, THE FINAL 1 AND 2 SECTORS BECAME SATURATED. AT APPROX X AM BOTH SECTORS WERE NOT ACCEPTING TFC IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID HAVING AN OPERROR. BOTH SECTORS WERE COMBINED WITH OTHER SECTORS AS STAFFING AT DCA DOES NOT PERMIT OPENING ALL SECTORS WHEN NEEDED. THERE WAS NO AREA MGR IN THE TRACON. DCA WAS IN A 1 RWY S CONFIGN. TFC MGMNT INITIATIVES WERE INADEQUATE. THERE WERE NO TFC MGMNT PERSONNEL AVAILABLE. THIS WAS AN UNSAFE SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.