Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 20
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Fatigue; Situational Awareness; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Staffing; Procedure; Human Factors; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Weather
I was working the mid-shift in Area X.  It was a very complex and busy day/evening/overnight shift.   We had many TMU restrictions and routes that were flying through ZMP and Area X.   We had a full page of active traffic on the ACL.  It was very difficult to determine if more traffic was on the way because all the TMU restrictions were covering up on the screen that depicts aircraft that are heading towards ZMP and Area X.  The traffic built so quickly that I didn't have time to call for help.  The traffic was so difficult and demanding that I didn't have time to enter and turn in icing PIREPs or turbulence PIREPs.  Area X has 21 VHF frequencies on the midnight shift and there was a lot of aircraft chatter about turbulence and about the required routes.  Pilots on different frequencies do not hear each other so there is continual transmissions that are interrupted by other calls.  Frequency congestion is a big problem on the midnight shift and often on the day and evening shifts too.  Area X works airport control at more than 100 airports.  Area X works the Approach Control airspace when the approach controls close overnight.  The supervisor (for the whole building) came down to our area and told us that we should be providing 30MIT for the aircraft on the CAN 5 TMU route; and 20MIT for the CAN 8 route and spacing for the ORD traffic even though we received absolutely no spacing from either ZDV or ZLC.  It was the middle of the night; I was trying to keep aircraft from running into each other!  We bid three controllers in Area X on the midnight shift.  We were down to two controllers working this shift and even though it was projected to be a busy shift; the evening operations manager refused to call in a third person on this shift.  It has been an ongoing problem that the overnight shifts go down to two on the shift and they are not automatically backfilled.  Most of the time when there are only two controllers in Area X on the mid; we (the controllers) can keep up and handle the workload although we become very fatigued.  Last night was a very unsafe workload situation in the middle of the night!  I worked for four hours straight with no opportunity for a break due to the complexity and the workload!  We had three sectors open until XX00 local; we had two sectors open until XX00+30 local.  I was only in the area by myself from XX00+40 local until XX00+55 local.  The air traffic grew so quickly at about XX00+100 local and I was unable to request help due to the workload.  We should have a supervisor assigned to Area X on the midnight shift.  The supervisor should be in the area all night.  A supervisor would be able to evaluate when traffic is building and when complex situations require additional help in the area.  A supervisor could help with PIREPs.  A supervisor would be able to anticipate when sectors need to be split or to figure out when a D-side is required.  A supervisor could answer questions about traffic flow or equipment problems; NORDO aircraft or any other issue that comes up.Right now; we have only one supervisor covering all areas on the midnight shift.  One supervisor is unable to provide help and support to the controllers when it is needed.  We need more staffing on the mid shifts.  Many times there is no issue when we only have two people on the midnight shift; but when the difficult or unusual situations pop up; then there is no help or relief in sight.  Three or four people on the midnight shift would be safer.  If we have TMU programs that are in effect for 24 hours a day; then we need to have TMU specialists in the building 24 hours a day to manage the programs; to evaluate and solve potential problems such as sector or area saturation.  The FAA says that safety is the most important thing; but within our building; it seems as though saving money is more important than safety!  It is unsafe to run shifts with a minimum of people and hope for the best.  I feel that some day that the workload on the overnight shift combined with the time of day along and fatigue issues on the midnight shift will exceed the controller's human abilities and that an accident will be the result.
A ZMP Controller describes a mid-shift with weather and short staffing that develops into traffic overload and possible safety issues.