ZHU controller questions team brief cancellation suggesting safety was compromised.

Attributes
ACN	535177
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zhu.artcc
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 15
ASRS Report	535177
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon reporting for duty at XA40, management advised crew members of the lch specialty that they could not attend a regularly scheduled center briefing, and that instead, they needed to staff tracker (handoff) and d-side position at low activity sectors. This unusual action had 2 separate effects. First, safety was compromised for the following reasons: 1) personnel were distraction as people speculated about the situation, which 2) increased noise levels in the control room making it difficult to hear landlines and aircraft, and 3) as a result of inactivity and boredom, team members felt they were unnecessary resulting in a lack of attention by some. Second, by canceling crew briefing, the crew was unable to cover mandatory briefing items routinely discussed from the 'read-and-initial' binder. This meant that personnel might have been unaware of pertinent information affecting the performance of the team.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR QUESTIONS TEAM BRIEF CANCELLATION SUGGESTING SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED.

Narrative: UPON RPTING FOR DUTY AT XA40, MGMNT ADVISED CREW MEMBERS OF THE LCH SPECIALTY THAT THEY COULD NOT ATTEND A REGULARLY SCHEDULED CTR BRIEFING, AND THAT INSTEAD, THEY NEEDED TO STAFF TRACKER (HDOF) AND D-SIDE POS AT LOW ACTIVITY SECTORS. THIS UNUSUAL ACTION HAD 2 SEPARATE EFFECTS. FIRST, SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) PERSONNEL WERE DISTR AS PEOPLE SPECULATED ABOUT THE SIT, WHICH 2) INCREASED NOISE LEVELS IN THE CTL ROOM MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO HEAR LANDLINES AND ACFT, AND 3) AS A RESULT OF INACTIVITY AND BOREDOM, TEAM MEMBERS FELT THEY WERE UNNECESSARY RESULTING IN A LACK OF ATTN BY SOME. SECOND, BY CANCELING CREW BRIEFING, THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO COVER MANDATORY BRIEFING ITEMS ROUTINELY DISCUSSED FROM THE 'READ-AND-INITIAL' BINDER. THIS MEANT THAT PERSONNEL MIGHT HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF PERTINENT INFO AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TEAM.

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.