So, it now looks like the controller was very busy. Does anyone know the manning at Zurich centre on a night shift ? Were they working all the Zurich sectors 'band-boxed' or were there other sectors open ?
If the 'standby' controller had come back and plugged-in would there have been any other cover available ?
At the London Terminal CC, the availability of staff has a definite influence on whether I ask for a sector to be split. I know it shouldn't, but with present levels of staffing there is little option.
Standard Departure,
You seem very quick to critise our Swiss colleague by jumping to conclussions. Your description of someone hopping from chair to chair, making R/T calls without waiting for a readback would be laughable if the circumstances were not so tragic.
Have you never worked with two radar sreens side by side, frequencies Cross-coupled ? One screen set to long range, the other short range. All transmissions (A/C or ATC) are broadcast on BOTH frequencies and no, you don't even have to get out of your chair.
Speculation is healthy, it makes us think what we might do in a similar situation but please don't be so quick to condem someone who must be suffering terribly without at least THINKING of ALL the likely scenarios