Narrative:

I was working multiple position and frequencys combined on the satellite airports of dfw TRACON. It was afternoon; which is normally busy on a VFR day such as this. We had traffic restrs over the top of dfw airport; which rerouted more traffic than normal through my sector. I was working 6 different frequencys combined; which adds to the frequency congestion and workload. We did not have the position split off like they should have been because of staffing. There were numerous delays (IFR departures) because of workload. Supervision was also inadequate. This was my 3RD week in a row of mandatory 6 day work weeks. A couple of days were 10 hour days and fatigue was definitely causal factor. Both aircraft involved were IFR arrs from the southwest. When the second aircraft X checked in; I mistook the 'V' in the call sign for a 'VFR designator.' the VFR designator is a 'V' which shows up on the radar tag; just below the aircraft identify. When the aircraft checked in; I assigned him a VFR altitude 500 ft above the other aircraft. The pilot acknowledged the VFR altitude; but never questioned it. IFR separation was later lost because of the VFR altitude assignment. It is my personal opinion that if the position had been staffed adequately; this error would not have happened. We had 3 errors on this position within 2 days. During all errors the sector was not adequately staffed; in my opinion. I work at one of the busiest terminal facilities in the world. Our facility is approaching a 50% reduction in the number of veteran fpl controllers that we had just 2 yrs ago. Instead of curtailing traffic and services to meet reduced staffing levels; controllers are routinely forced to work combined sectors; 6 day work weeks with fewer breaks and 10 hour days to handle the workload. Many controllers were denied summer vacation with their families and morale is at an all time low. The number of errors keep climbing (even though the FAA renamed certain type of errors in an attempt to disguise the actual numbers) because the FAA decided to cut wages; retirement benefits and moving expenses for controllers; our facility is unable to attract qualified; experienced controllers. The new controllers we are getting have little or no experience. If there was not enough stress already from working more traffic; longer hours with less breaks; longer work weeks and less vacation time with family; we are being forced to train new; inexperienced controllers; the FAA has created a very hazardous and dangerous environment. This is a recipe for disaster.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 4000 WHEN ISSUING A VFR ALT TO AN IFR ACFT; MISREADING THE DATA BLOCK; CITING FATIGUE AS CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING MULTIPLE POS AND FREQS COMBINED ON THE SATELLITE ARPTS OF DFW TRACON. IT WAS AFTERNOON; WHICH IS NORMALLY BUSY ON A VFR DAY SUCH AS THIS. WE HAD TFC RESTRS OVER THE TOP OF DFW ARPT; WHICH REROUTED MORE TFC THAN NORMAL THROUGH MY SECTOR. I WAS WORKING 6 DIFFERENT FREQS COMBINED; WHICH ADDS TO THE FREQ CONGESTION AND WORKLOAD. WE DID NOT HAVE THE POS SPLIT OFF LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF STAFFING. THERE WERE NUMEROUS DELAYS (IFR DEPS) BECAUSE OF WORKLOAD. SUPERVISION WAS ALSO INADEQUATE. THIS WAS MY 3RD WK IN A ROW OF MANDATORY 6 DAY WORK WKS. A COUPLE OF DAYS WERE 10 HR DAYS AND FATIGUE WAS DEFINITELY CAUSAL FACTOR. BOTH ACFT INVOLVED WERE IFR ARRS FROM THE SW. WHEN THE SECOND ACFT X CHKED IN; I MISTOOK THE 'V' IN THE CALL SIGN FOR A 'VFR DESIGNATOR.' THE VFR DESIGNATOR IS A 'V' WHICH SHOWS UP ON THE RADAR TAG; JUST BELOW THE ACFT IDENT. WHEN THE ACFT CHKED IN; I ASSIGNED HIM A VFR ALT 500 FT ABOVE THE OTHER ACFT. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE VFR ALT; BUT NEVER QUESTIONED IT. IFR SEPARATION WAS LATER LOST BECAUSE OF THE VFR ALT ASSIGNMENT. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT IF THE POS HAD BEEN STAFFED ADEQUATELY; THIS ERROR WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAD 3 ERRORS ON THIS POS WITHIN 2 DAYS. DURING ALL ERRORS THE SECTOR WAS NOT ADEQUATELY STAFFED; IN MY OPINION. I WORK AT ONE OF THE BUSIEST TERMINAL FACILITIES IN THE WORLD. OUR FACILITY IS APCHING A 50% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VETERAN FPL CTLRS THAT WE HAD JUST 2 YRS AGO. INSTEAD OF CURTAILING TFC AND SVCS TO MEET REDUCED STAFFING LEVELS; CTLRS ARE ROUTINELY FORCED TO WORK COMBINED SECTORS; 6 DAY WORK WKS WITH FEWER BREAKS AND 10 HR DAYS TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD. MANY CTLRS WERE DENIED SUMMER VACATION WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND MORALE IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. THE NUMBER OF ERRORS KEEP CLBING (EVEN THOUGH THE FAA RENAMED CERTAIN TYPE OF ERRORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISGUISE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS) BECAUSE THE FAA DECIDED TO CUT WAGES; RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND MOVING EXPENSES FOR CTLRS; OUR FACILITY IS UNABLE TO ATTRACT QUALIFIED; EXPERIENCED CTLRS. THE NEW CTLRS WE ARE GETTING HAVE LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE. IF THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH STRESS ALREADY FROM WORKING MORE TFC; LONGER HRS WITH LESS BREAKS; LONGER WORK WKS AND LESS VACATION TIME WITH FAMILY; WE ARE BEING FORCED TO TRAIN NEW; INEXPERIENCED CTLRS; THE FAA HAS CREATED A VERY HAZARDOUS AND DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.

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.