Narrative:

This was a friday afternoon; oct/fri/06; and primarily from XA00 local to XC00 local. Lincoln ATCT (lnk) is an up/down facility. Since may/fri/06 offutt AFB aircraft have been based at the lincoln airport and were a factor. On this particular day and time I was working in the tower cabin attendant and was also acting as the watch controller in charge. The reason I was the watch controller in charge was because the air traffic manager called a meeting with his supervisors at XA30 local. Traffic was heavy. We had numerous military C135 aircraft in our radar pattern as well as other aircraft including military T-38's and civilian single and light twin engine aircraft practicing approachs. Staffing was so tight we were not able to open any radar assist-type position which were needed at that time. Landline coordination suffered because of the lack of staffing. Even when the management meeting was over and while I was also working local control; I did not have time to conduct a checklist with the supervisor coming on duty. When he finally called me to do the checklist; he distraction me and a couple of my traffic pattern aircraft got away from me momentarily. Had the supervisors been available to the operations; then we would have had adequate staffing plus an extra set of eyes not working airplanes who could better manage resources available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNK CTLR DESCRIBED BUSY AND COMPLEX TFC PERIOD WHEN SUPVRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR NEEDED STAFFING BECAUSE OF A SCHEDULED MEETING.

Narrative: THIS WAS A FRIDAY AFTERNOON; OCT/FRI/06; AND PRIMARILY FROM XA00 LCL TO XC00 LCL. LINCOLN ATCT (LNK) IS AN UP/DOWN FACILITY. SINCE MAY/FRI/06 OFFUTT AFB ACFT HAVE BEEN BASED AT THE LINCOLN ARPT AND WERE A FACTOR. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY AND TIME I WAS WORKING IN THE TWR CAB AND WAS ALSO ACTING AS THE WATCH CIC. THE REASON I WAS THE WATCH CIC WAS BECAUSE THE AIR TFC MGR CALLED A MEETING WITH HIS SUPVRS AT XA30 LCL. TFC WAS HVY. WE HAD NUMEROUS MIL C135 ACFT IN OUR RADAR PATTERN AS WELL AS OTHER ACFT INCLUDING MIL T-38'S AND CIVILIAN SINGLE AND LIGHT TWIN ENG ACFT PRACTICING APCHS. STAFFING WAS SO TIGHT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO OPEN ANY RADAR ASSIST-TYPE POS WHICH WERE NEEDED AT THAT TIME. LANDLINE COORD SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF STAFFING. EVEN WHEN THE MGMNT MEETING WAS OVER AND WHILE I WAS ALSO WORKING LCL CTL; I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CONDUCT A CHKLIST WITH THE SUPVR COMING ON DUTY. WHEN HE FINALLY CALLED ME TO DO THE CHKLIST; HE DISTR ME AND A COUPLE OF MY TFC PATTERN ACFT GOT AWAY FROM ME MOMENTARILY. HAD THE SUPVRS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE OPS; THEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD ADEQUATE STAFFING PLUS AN EXTRA SET OF EYES NOT WORKING AIRPLANES WHO COULD BETTER MANAGE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.