Narrative:

A fixed base operation was recently sold. Employees were all fired, and new employees hired. Experience level is marginal, judging from aircraft damaged by ground handlers, and poor planning for aircraft tiedown. The bldg is seldom adequately secured during the early am hours and late pm hours. Several times a month I have entered from the public parking lot and gone to my aircraft on what is supposed to be a secured aircraft ramp, totally unobserved and unquestioned. There is usually only one employee, who has other duties requiring absence from the desk, which is the only security chkpoint for public access to the ramp. There is also an automobile security gate which is observed by closed circuit tv from this desk. The security person can open that gate via motor driven gearbox, as can any person with a magnetically coded credit card issued by FBO. The gearbox is open to the WX, and often fails leaving the automatic gate open. Apparently little if any maintenance is done on this gate (which cannot be closed manually). The city of austin recently passed a law requiring the person opening the gate to be responsible for its closing, and a $200 fine for failure to secure the gate (which is impossible to do). On this gate, on this date, I drove my automobile from the ramp to the parking lot. The gate automatically opens for outgoing vehicles detected by an inductive loop. The gate failed to close, there was no security to guard the open gate except the austin police observing the gate. When I drove away, I was pursued by the austin policy mentioned above and cited for an airport security violation involving danger to airline safety. I mentioned I needed a court date so I could appear and the charges were dropped. The gate remains with the same problem, and no solution is in site. This problem has existed, to my knowledge, for over 2 yrs. Though police arrests just started this week.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT GOT A TICKET FOR FAILING TO CLOSE ARPT SECURITY GATE AS HE LEFT THE ARPT IN HIS CAR.

Narrative: A FIXED BASE OPERATION WAS RECENTLY SOLD. EMPLOYEES WERE ALL FIRED, AND NEW EMPLOYEES HIRED. EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS MARGINAL, JUDGING FROM ACFT DAMAGED BY GND HANDLERS, AND POOR PLANNING FOR ACFT TIEDOWN. THE BLDG IS SELDOM ADEQUATELY SECURED DURING THE EARLY AM HRS AND LATE PM HRS. SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH I HAVE ENTERED FROM THE PUBLIC PARKING LOT AND GONE TO MY ACFT ON WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SECURED ACFT RAMP, TOTALLY UNOBSERVED AND UNQUESTIONED. THERE IS USUALLY ONLY ONE EMPLOYEE, WHO HAS OTHER DUTIES REQUIRING ABSENCE FROM THE DESK, WHICH IS THE ONLY SECURITY CHKPOINT FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE RAMP. THERE IS ALSO AN AUTOMOBILE SECURITY GATE WHICH IS OBSERVED BY CLOSED CIRCUIT TV FROM THIS DESK. THE SECURITY PERSON CAN OPEN THAT GATE VIA MOTOR DRIVEN GEARBOX, AS CAN ANY PERSON WITH A MAGNETICALLY CODED CREDIT CARD ISSUED BY FBO. THE GEARBOX IS OPEN TO THE WX, AND OFTEN FAILS LEAVING THE AUTO GATE OPEN. APPARENTLY LITTLE IF ANY MAINT IS DONE ON THIS GATE (WHICH CANNOT BE CLOSED MANUALLY). THE CITY OF AUSTIN RECENTLY PASSED A LAW REQUIRING THE PERSON OPENING THE GATE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CLOSING, AND A $200 FINE FOR FAILURE TO SECURE THE GATE (WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO). ON THIS GATE, ON THIS DATE, I DROVE MY AUTOMOBILE FROM THE RAMP TO THE PARKING LOT. THE GATE AUTOMATICALLY OPENS FOR OUTGOING VEHICLES DETECTED BY AN INDUCTIVE LOOP. THE GATE FAILED TO CLOSE, THERE WAS NO SECURITY TO GUARD THE OPEN GATE EXCEPT THE AUSTIN POLICE OBSERVING THE GATE. WHEN I DROVE AWAY, I WAS PURSUED BY THE AUSTIN POLICY MENTIONED ABOVE AND CITED FOR AN ARPT SECURITY VIOLATION INVOLVING DANGER TO AIRLINE SAFETY. I MENTIONED I NEEDED A COURT DATE SO I COULD APPEAR AND THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED. THE GATE REMAINS WITH THE SAME PROB, AND NO SOLUTION IS IN SITE. THIS PROB HAS EXISTED, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, FOR OVER 2 YRS. THOUGH POLICE ARRESTS JUST STARTED THIS WK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.