Six operational errors over six days at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center last week were due to fatigue and training errors caused by inadequate staffing, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “Memphis Center was authorized by the FAA to have 354 controllers on staff for a safe staffing level,” NATCA said in a news release on Tuesday. “Currently, there are 249 fully certified controllers staffing six areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These same controllers are also responsible for the on-the-job training for the 63 trainees.” FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown told AVweb that the “authorized staffing” numbers cited by NATCA are out of date. “We have new staffing ranges, and 244 to 298 is the staffing range for that facility,” she said. Also, many of the trainees, though they are not fully certified on all sectors, are certified on some. “They can work traffic,” Brown said. “They are part of the controller staffing.” Brown said that all operational errors are investigated to find out what happened and what corrective actions are needed. “But we have no indication the errors at Memphis were related to staffing levels,” she said.
Controller Errors At Memphis Raise Concerns
Key Takeaways:
- The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) attributed six operational errors at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center to controller fatigue and training errors caused by inadequate staffing levels.
- NATCA claimed Memphis Center has 249 fully certified controllers against an FAA-authorized 354, with these controllers also responsible for 63 trainees.
- The FAA disputed NATCA's staffing numbers, stating an updated staffing range of 244-298 controllers for the facility and noting that many trainees are certified to work traffic and contribute to staffing.
- The FAA stated it has no indication that the operational errors at Memphis were related to staffing levels and that all errors are investigated.
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