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ZID controller described early morning automation failure and supervisor's decision to delay repair (re-boot); alleging safety/workload concerns.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 795749 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zid.artcc |
| State Reference | IN |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence Thunderstorm |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : flight data controller : handoff position controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 18 controller radar : 17 controller time certified in position1 : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 795749 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
Narrative:
ZID had an automation failure upon start-up this morning. Approximately 40% of the flight plans could not be amended using normal techniques. The rtes or altitudes could not be amended. A decision was made not to correct the problem until the following night mid-shift. The entire day controllers battled malfunctioning equipment along with WX deviations. As the evening progressed WX impacting the east coast forced ZID to work extra aircraft while still dealing with the automation issue. With the short staffing the FAA is dealing with ZID should have taken the 45 mins it would have taken during the slower day shift operation to take down the primary system and re-boot with the properly working system. Instead; the FAA chose to compromise safety and forced the ZID controllers to work with malfunctioning equipment; WX; and rertes to avoid delays.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZID CTLR DESCRIBED EARLY MORNING AUTOMATION FAILURE AND SUPVR'S DECISION TO DELAY REPAIR (RE-BOOT); ALLEGING SAFETY/WORKLOAD CONCERNS.
Narrative: ZID HAD AN AUTOMATION FAILURE UPON START-UP THIS MORNING. APPROX 40% OF THE FLT PLANS COULD NOT BE AMENDED USING NORMAL TECHNIQUES. THE RTES OR ALTS COULD NOT BE AMENDED. A DECISION WAS MADE NOT TO CORRECT THE PROB UNTIL THE FOLLOWING NIGHT MID-SHIFT. THE ENTIRE DAY CTLRS BATTLED MALFUNCTIONING EQUIP ALONG WITH WX DEVS. AS THE EVENING PROGRESSED WX IMPACTING THE EAST COAST FORCED ZID TO WORK EXTRA ACFT WHILE STILL DEALING WITH THE AUTOMATION ISSUE. WITH THE SHORT STAFFING THE FAA IS DEALING WITH ZID SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE 45 MINS IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN DURING THE SLOWER DAY SHIFT OP TO TAKE DOWN THE PRIMARY SYS AND RE-BOOT WITH THE PROPERLY WORKING SYS. INSTEAD; THE FAA CHOSE TO COMPROMISE SAFETY AND FORCED THE ZID CTLRS TO WORK WITH MALFUNCTIONING EQUIP; WX; AND RERTES TO AVOID DELAYS.
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.