Date: 201709
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZOA.ARTCC, CA
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Workload; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Human-Machine Interface
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Airspace Structure; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings
Primary problem: Airspace Structure

Narrative: Sector 44 has become a Monster sector. Management knows that Holiday weekends and volume issues with towers that they need to take all precautions into making this sector run somewhat manageable. Today; I witnessed more complexity in my career that I have ever seen. This sector; this day needs to be reviewed by outside sources not in this Center to see if something can be done to improve safety; flow; and reduce the stress that all of us feel when we plug into sector 44. The whole day was extremely complex and busy and my 30 minutes plus should be reviewed. I have no idea of the violations; airspace; etc. as we were hanging on for dear life. Towers wanted clearances; release of aircraft; airports had aircraft sitting on the runway ready to depart; and all the while VFR aircraft calling for advisories while IFR in the system ask for clearances while in the air. It was chaotic and unsettling.This is the situation as I see it. Center does not have a system for proposal strips. That is one issue and they don't use them when traffic is normal. But today wasn't normal as most summer Holiday weekends. EDST had 30 plus proposals for this sector's airports. I am only looking at 10 or so with the active aircraft list. While I was off the line giving a clearance to a departure; making a phone call for an inbound to a tower; or coordinating anything else with Approach there are aircraft departing airports in the air looking for IFR clearances. Fires; TFR's; and smoke in the area make it critical these pilots get a timely clearance. I suggested to the supervisor that there be a coordinator/tracker to have a bay of proposed strips behind him and be able to grab the strip for the Radar Controller when aircraft call.The EDST is in use by me at the handoff side and I can't even see the list of aircraft that are calling in the air; on the ground; or by tower. The Radar Controller is trying to get a squawk code or look up the aircraft. Furthermore; we don't have a shout line to Tower and that slows things down. Tower called me for clearances and release of aircraft and I couldn't get to their request!! Management came up with a plug in phone to make 'hot' but the issue is when Tower calls and I answer the phone I also have incoming calls from other sectors in my other ear and can't handle it. We NEED a shout line set up and asked for it since June. I truly believe an outside team from DC; the Service Area; another center; anywhere; needs to come in and look at our set up and see what we can do to improve.The controllers from Center; Tower; management; along with an outside party from the FAA need to really tackle this problem to make sure these times of extreme volume are managed with reduced risk to the NAS. There was a situation when I was just coming in. There were two VFR aircraft identified; we were talking to; and the controller pointed out. I was observing from behind that they were merging and the aircraft were at 10;100 feet and 10;000 feet. So much flashing was going on the Radar Controller was doing all he could. The Radar Controller issued a Traffic alert and one aircraft got the other at the last second! Starting mid-morning was chaos. There has to be a safer way for all involved. I know that our team did their best; including management but we have to figure this out and make it manageable.




Synopsis: ZOA Center controller reported that a sectors' workload has become unmanageable resulting in delays and aircraft conflicts due to the variety of traffic situations and equipment limitations.