Narrative:

At XA50 staffing at sjc tower was inadequate as the controller was required to open the tower as the controller in charge; work the local control position; and monitor the entire operation. The facility failed to recognize the fact that they would be short staffed the previous day and assigned a developmental in training overtime to assist the lone controller. Had the cpc not come in as scheduled at XA50 for whatever reason; sjc would not have begun normal operations until XC00 when the next cpc had arrived. This would have certainly been costly for the airlines and in my yrs at sjc; I have never witnessed such poor decision making regarding staffing of the morning shift. Further; the daily staffing indicated that there would be additional personnel showing up at various times throughout the day on scheduled overtime. Apparently; that was canceled but never conveyed on the worksheets for that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SJC CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING LEVELS AND SCHEDULING PROCS.

Narrative: AT XA50 STAFFING AT SJC TWR WAS INADEQUATE AS THE CTLR WAS REQUIRED TO OPEN THE TWR AS THE CIC; WORK THE LCL CTL POS; AND MONITOR THE ENTIRE OP. THE FACILITY FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD BE SHORT STAFFED THE PREVIOUS DAY AND ASSIGNED A DEVELOPMENTAL IN TRAINING OVERTIME TO ASSIST THE LONE CTLR. HAD THE CPC NOT COME IN AS SCHEDULED AT XA50 FOR WHATEVER REASON; SJC WOULD NOT HAVE BEGUN NORMAL OPS UNTIL XC00 WHEN THE NEXT CPC HAD ARRIVED. THIS WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN COSTLY FOR THE AIRLINES AND IN MY YRS AT SJC; I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED SUCH POOR DECISION MAKING REGARDING STAFFING OF THE MORNING SHIFT. FURTHER; THE DAILY STAFFING INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL SHOWING UP AT VARIOUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON SCHEDULED OVERTIME. APPARENTLY; THAT WAS CANCELED BUT NEVER CONVEYED ON THE WORKSHEETS FOR THAT DAY.

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.