Narrative:

ZFW began a transition from 7 areas to 6 in sep/07. Byp area picked up 2 new sectors; mlu-left and txk-left from the 7TH area. I am new to the byp area; having come from the 7TH area. With this transition; new mid-shift sector configns had to be made. The supervisor made the decision to combine 4 sectors on a single scope. (They are seavr-lo; decod-H; txk-lo; and mlu-lo. Seavr-lo and decod-H serve the northeast corner post into dfw approach. They can get quite busy.) the supervisor made this decision against loud and significant objections. When working these 4 sectors together; it must be worked on a 150 mi scale. This is; in my opinion; unsafe for several reasons: 1) the scale is so large; it's difficult to sequence into dfw. You are left with 1 option -- poor service to the users because you must run them 10+ mi in trail due to the scale. (Data block overlap is difficult to manage.) 2) in addition to normal arrs; there are a tremendous number of overflts just to the north of the decod-H boundary. (Mostly en route to mem from the west coast.) any WX to the north pushes these overflts into decod-H's airspace. This is not uncommon in this part of the country as evidenced by the frequent tornados this spring. (Northeast texas; southeast oklahoma; and western arkansas.) 3) when txk-lo and mlu-lo were part of the 7TH area; only these 2 were combined for mid-shift operations. These 2 low altitude sectors encompass a very large amount of airspace. Though volume is not typically an issue; complexity can be. During mid-shift configns; mlu-lo and txk-lo provide approach control services to txk; eld; mlu; and GGG. All 4 of these airports have multiple instrument approachs. (All have an ILS.) we also feed and receive aircraft into and out of the shv terminal area and border polk approach; ZME; and ZHU. My point is that you can get very busy with approachs and coordination on the low altitude sectors. All 4 of these airports are located in areas where fog and low ceilings are not unusual; requiring frequent use of the instrument approachs. 4) we are required by the 7110.65 to use a maximum scale of 125 mi when vectoring aircraft for approach. I think the 150 mi scale is illegal for this reason alone (though management says it is legal). I don't think the intention was to have controllers toggling between scales every time they provided an approach vector; especially when some of their airspace is not visible on the 125 mi scale. 5) the airspace is so big; it literally takes up the whole display. You couldn't run a 125 scale if you wanted to. Some of your airspace would no longer be visible. It is very easy to get focused on the corner post sectors; and forget the low sectors. When there's WX; it's even worse. You get busier with deviations; route entries; etc. If the WX is bad; the low altitude sectors are likely to require instrument approachs. In other words; the workload is likely to increase. 6) this workload would never be tolerated on a day shift. Never! I had WX one night and it was ugly. Dozens of overflts crossed a line of WX in a gap just north of byp. Several times I had to go to smaller scales just to deal with the data block overlap. My co-worker was working the sector next to me. They had me 'quick-looked' and was assisting in any way possible. I'm glad they're there. I was really 'down the tubes' and it was only luck that I didn't have traffic in the low altitude sectors at the same time. Controllers don't like to rely on luck to get through a shift. Eventually; I don't think there's a good solution for reconfiguring these sectors. I think txk-lo and mlu-lo should be worked by themselves; just as they were for the previous 10 yrs. This means an extra controller on the mid-shift and 3 sectors open instead of 2. I realize this is an added expense for the facility but it is not the controller's fault. Fault lies with the individual who decided to distribute sectors to new areas without foresight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR DETAILS CONCERNS REGARDING MID SHIFT SECTOR COMBINATION PROCS AND LACK OF STAFFING.

Narrative: ZFW BEGAN A TRANSITION FROM 7 AREAS TO 6 IN SEP/07. BYP AREA PICKED UP 2 NEW SECTORS; MLU-L AND TXK-L FROM THE 7TH AREA. I AM NEW TO THE BYP AREA; HAVING COME FROM THE 7TH AREA. WITH THIS TRANSITION; NEW MID-SHIFT SECTOR CONFIGNS HAD TO BE MADE. THE SUPVR MADE THE DECISION TO COMBINE 4 SECTORS ON A SINGLE SCOPE. (THEY ARE SEAVR-LO; DECOD-H; TXK-LO; AND MLU-LO. SEAVR-LO AND DECOD-H SERVE THE NE CORNER POST INTO DFW APCH. THEY CAN GET QUITE BUSY.) THE SUPVR MADE THIS DECISION AGAINST LOUD AND SIGNIFICANT OBJECTIONS. WHEN WORKING THESE 4 SECTORS TOGETHER; IT MUST BE WORKED ON A 150 MI SCALE. THIS IS; IN MY OPINION; UNSAFE FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1) THE SCALE IS SO LARGE; IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEQUENCE INTO DFW. YOU ARE LEFT WITH 1 OPTION -- POOR SVC TO THE USERS BECAUSE YOU MUST RUN THEM 10+ MI IN TRAIL DUE TO THE SCALE. (DATA BLOCK OVERLAP IS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE.) 2) IN ADDITION TO NORMAL ARRS; THERE ARE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF OVERFLTS JUST TO THE N OF THE DECOD-H BOUNDARY. (MOSTLY ENRTE TO MEM FROM THE WEST COAST.) ANY WX TO THE N PUSHES THESE OVERFLTS INTO DECOD-H'S AIRSPACE. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY AS EVIDENCED BY THE FREQUENT TORNADOS THIS SPRING. (NE TEXAS; SE OKLAHOMA; AND WESTERN ARKANSAS.) 3) WHEN TXK-LO AND MLU-LO WERE PART OF THE 7TH AREA; ONLY THESE 2 WERE COMBINED FOR MID-SHIFT OPS. THESE 2 LOW ALT SECTORS ENCOMPASS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF AIRSPACE. THOUGH VOLUME IS NOT TYPICALLY AN ISSUE; COMPLEXITY CAN BE. DURING MID-SHIFT CONFIGNS; MLU-LO AND TXK-LO PROVIDE APCH CTL SVCS TO TXK; ELD; MLU; AND GGG. ALL 4 OF THESE ARPTS HAVE MULTIPLE INST APCHS. (ALL HAVE AN ILS.) WE ALSO FEED AND RECEIVE ACFT INTO AND OUT OF THE SHV TERMINAL AREA AND BORDER POLK APCH; ZME; AND ZHU. MY POINT IS THAT YOU CAN GET VERY BUSY WITH APCHS AND COORD ON THE LOW ALT SECTORS. ALL 4 OF THESE ARPTS ARE LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE FOG AND LOW CEILINGS ARE NOT UNUSUAL; REQUIRING FREQUENT USE OF THE INST APCHS. 4) WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE 7110.65 TO USE A MAX SCALE OF 125 MI WHEN VECTORING ACFT FOR APCH. I THINK THE 150 MI SCALE IS ILLEGAL FOR THIS REASON ALONE (THOUGH MGMNT SAYS IT IS LEGAL). I DON'T THINK THE INTENTION WAS TO HAVE CTLRS TOGGLING BTWN SCALES EVERY TIME THEY PROVIDED AN APCH VECTOR; ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME OF THEIR AIRSPACE IS NOT VISIBLE ON THE 125 MI SCALE. 5) THE AIRSPACE IS SO BIG; IT LITERALLY TAKES UP THE WHOLE DISPLAY. YOU COULDN'T RUN A 125 SCALE IF YOU WANTED TO. SOME OF YOUR AIRSPACE WOULD NO LONGER BE VISIBLE. IT IS VERY EASY TO GET FOCUSED ON THE CORNER POST SECTORS; AND FORGET THE LOW SECTORS. WHEN THERE'S WX; IT'S EVEN WORSE. YOU GET BUSIER WITH DEVS; RTE ENTRIES; ETC. IF THE WX IS BAD; THE LOW ALT SECTORS ARE LIKELY TO REQUIRE INST APCHS. IN OTHER WORDS; THE WORKLOAD IS LIKELY TO INCREASE. 6) THIS WORKLOAD WOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED ON A DAY SHIFT. NEVER! I HAD WX ONE NIGHT AND IT WAS UGLY. DOZENS OF OVERFLTS CROSSED A LINE OF WX IN A GAP JUST N OF BYP. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO GO TO SMALLER SCALES JUST TO DEAL WITH THE DATA BLOCK OVERLAP. MY CO-WORKER WAS WORKING THE SECTOR NEXT TO ME. THEY HAD ME 'QUICK-LOOKED' AND WAS ASSISTING IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. I'M GLAD THEY'RE THERE. I WAS REALLY 'DOWN THE TUBES' AND IT WAS ONLY LUCK THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TFC IN THE LOW ALT SECTORS AT THE SAME TIME. CTLRS DON'T LIKE TO RELY ON LUCK TO GET THROUGH A SHIFT. EVENTUALLY; I DON'T THINK THERE'S A GOOD SOLUTION FOR RECONFIGURING THESE SECTORS. I THINK TXK-LO AND MLU-LO SHOULD BE WORKED BY THEMSELVES; JUST AS THEY WERE FOR THE PREVIOUS 10 YRS. THIS MEANS AN EXTRA CTLR ON THE MID-SHIFT AND 3 SECTORS OPEN INSTEAD OF 2. I REALIZE THIS IS AN ADDED EXPENSE FOR THE FACILITY BUT IT IS NOT THE CTLR'S FAULT. FAULT LIES WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHO DECIDED TO DISTRIBUTE SECTORS TO NEW AREAS WITHOUT FORESIGHT.

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