Narrative:

When changed to tower frequency on landing; we noticed that tower was giving many instructions to lots of other traffic. Flight clrncs and ground instruction along with landing clrncs were on the same frequency. After landing; we realized that there was only 1 person in the tower and he was controlling everything moving on the ground and in the air. WX had backed up traffic into phl and it was very busy at this hour and this person needed lots of help in order to properly control traffic. It was hard to get a response from this person for normal ground taxi clrncs because he was engaged in more important landing clrncs and moving aircraft away from the runway. A single person in the control tower should not ever be allowed in phl.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT IS CONCERNED THAT PHL TWR APPEARED TO BE MANNED BY 1 INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS HAVING TROUBLE HANDLING ALL THE DUTIES.

Narrative: WHEN CHANGED TO TWR FREQ ON LNDG; WE NOTICED THAT TWR WAS GIVING MANY INSTRUCTIONS TO LOTS OF OTHER TFC. FLT CLRNCS AND GND INSTRUCTION ALONG WITH LNDG CLRNCS WERE ON THE SAME FREQ. AFTER LNDG; WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ONLY 1 PERSON IN THE TWR AND HE WAS CONTROLLING EVERYTHING MOVING ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR. WX HAD BACKED UP TFC INTO PHL AND IT WAS VERY BUSY AT THIS HR AND THIS PERSON NEEDED LOTS OF HELP IN ORDER TO PROPERLY CTL TFC. IT WAS HARD TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THIS PERSON FOR NORMAL GND TAXI CLRNCS BECAUSE HE WAS ENGAGED IN MORE IMPORTANT LNDG CLRNCS AND MOVING ACFT AWAY FROM THE RWY. A SINGLE PERSON IN THE CTL TWR SHOULD NOT EVER BE ALLOWED IN PHL.

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.