Tower local controller requests gate information from airliner north short final in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	114244
Time
Date	198906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 13030 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	114244
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At the outer marker for runway pit with thunderstorm in progress, reported windshear and heavy rain. Switched over to tower from approach 2 mi outside the marker. With heavy radio congestion, when contact was finally established, the tower insisted on knowing if our gate was open. We told him we were too busy to find out, he persisted with claims of 'needing to know where to put us on the ground once we landed'. We attempted once to try to contact company but failed due to frequency congestion. A short discussion followed between first officer and captain about a possible go around due to a cell spotted on our radar near the field, we completed the final landing checklist made all required callouts and procedures and landed. We were distracted by the tower's request for non-pertinent information during the sterile period and told ground controller 121.9 that the use of this controller's procedure was 'out of line' and unsafe. This policy must not be continued of the controller needing to know if a gate is open at the most intense and critical phase of flight. It is an unsafe practice and deters us from conducting a safe flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR LCL CTLR REQUESTS GATE INFORMATION FROM AIRLINER N SHORT FINAL IN IMC.

Narrative: AT THE OUTER MARKER FOR RWY PIT WITH TSTM IN PROGRESS, REPORTED WINDSHEAR AND HEAVY RAIN. SWITCHED OVER TO TWR FROM APCH 2 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER. WITH HEAVY RADIO CONGESTION, WHEN CONTACT WAS FINALLY ESTABLISHED, THE TWR INSISTED ON KNOWING IF OUR GATE WAS OPEN. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE TOO BUSY TO FIND OUT, HE PERSISTED WITH CLAIMS OF 'NEEDING TO KNOW WHERE TO PUT US ON THE GND ONCE WE LANDED'. WE ATTEMPTED ONCE TO TRY TO CONTACT COMPANY BUT FAILED DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. A SHORT DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BETWEEN F/O AND CAPT ABOUT A POSSIBLE GO AROUND DUE TO A CELL SPOTTED ON OUR RADAR NEAR THE FIELD, WE COMPLETED THE FINAL LNDG CHECKLIST MADE ALL REQUIRED CALLOUTS AND PROCS AND LANDED. WE WERE DISTRACTED BY THE TWR'S REQUEST FOR NON-PERTINENT INFO DURING THE STERILE PERIOD AND TOLD GND CTLR 121.9 THAT THE USE OF THIS CTLR'S PROC WAS 'OUT OF LINE' AND UNSAFE. THIS POLICY MUST NOT BE CONTINUED OF THE CTLR NEEDING TO KNOW IF A GATE IS OPEN AT THE MOST INTENSE AND CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. IT IS AN UNSAFE PRACTICE AND DETERS US FROM CONDUCTING A SAFE FLT.

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.