Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 11
Situational Awareness; Workload; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Weather; Staffing; Human Factors; Company Policy
Area 2 at ZME was forced to work short staffed due to incompetence. Management here waited until mid-morning to attempt to cover the shift with overtime. There was no one available on the yes list and they knew it. They deliberately waited too long and did not assign overtime to someone on the 'NO' list. When we reported for the shift we were advised that not 1 but 2 controllers had called in that evening and offered to work. The supervisor denied them; telling them 'We have the shift covered.' By this they meant holding one CPC over and calling one in early. ZME is unique on the mid shift because we have a more traffic inbound and outbound. Weather developed and we were forced to open 3 sectors and have all three CPC's on duty at the same time. Two of us; myself included; worked over 4 hours and 6 hours with no break respectively with the 3rd going over 3 hours on position as well. Due to the weather the vast majority of transcontinental flights were allowed to deviate and fly through our airspace at the same time as the departure push. This was dangerous. The watch supervisor tried calling HQ for help and the airlines and we were afforded no relief. We were exhausted. We missed things. Aircraft and people were unsafe all to save $400. Safety is not a budget line item. The same thing happened the evening prior. Dismiss the supervisor responsible and retrain the rest.
Memphis Center Controller reported an avoidable short staffed shift where controllers went over 3 and 4 hours on position without breaks.