A report by the Transportation Department IG office cited controller fatigue as a key issue affecting runway safety as busy efforts. The report, while focusing on three Chicago air traffic facilities — Chicago O’Hare International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower, Chicago Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility, and Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center — said factors similar to those causing fatigue there could apply to other facilities as well, including:
* Minimal hours between shifts. Controllers at all three facilities were scheduled to work shifts with periods of less than 10 hours between each shift which limits the time for rest between shifts.
* Scheduled and call-up overtime. Controllers at all three facilities worked schedules that required overtime which can increase the potential for fatigue.
* On-the-job training. Controllers at all three facilities conducted on-the-job training which can be fatiguing for the instructor as it requires a high level of concentration and focus.
* Other factors. Staffing levels fall in the authorized range but do not account for the ratio of controllers to trainees that could affect controller fatigue and on-the-job training; adverse weather conditions and high-volume traffic could contribute to controller fatigue; and none of the Chicago facilities had written guidance in place suggesting how often or when controllers should rotate through more difficult positions.
Recommendations included reevaluating staffing ranges, increasing rest periods, providing mandatory annual refresher training to reinforce fatigue awareness and mitigation strategies, expanding operational error investigation requirements to include more detailed information on fatigue factors such as overtime, and requiring facilities to rotate controllers through challenging and less demanding positions during each shift.
The report is at www.oig.dot.gov/
