Narrative:

On jul/xx/89, an air show was scheduled to occur from XXXX-XXXX local with the airport being closed to all traffic except scheduled air carriers. I was the tower local controller from XXXX-XXXX local. What was happening was that some aircraft were calling to taxi and departure and some weren't, there were uncontrolled vehicles crossing runways, aircraft moving around, and people walking across runways. In addition the FAA coordinator was instructing the local controller what runways to land air carriers on regardless of winds and obstructions, people, vehicles, on or near runways. At one point the FAA representative wanted an air carrier to land on runway 28 with hot air balloons tethered, moving around, landing and departing beside runway 28. I had the air carrier circle to runway 18 to keep him away from the hot air balloons. I felt that the entire air show operation was handled unsafely, there was no positive control to ensure the safe operation of aircraft due to the lack of coordination between the air show people and the tower. There were people trying to control aircraft from the air show area without regard to what the tower had or was doing. Even after the tower was to be closed, a controller was to provide an advisory service to aircraft, the controller was issuing instructions to some aircraft and others were told to operate as if at an uncontrolled airport. The tower controller finally quit working at XXXX local. As a recommendation to prevent this from occurring again, I can only suggest better coordination between the FAA and air show representative, an air boss or some appointee provide advisory service to air show aircraft, that FAA controllers not issue control instructions to aircraft at an airport NOTAM closed for an air show, and that all arrivals and departures be at the pilots risk, and that controllers be required they only keep other aircraft from entering the notamed area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION DURING AN AIRSHOW CREATED POTENTIAL CONFLICTIONS.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/89, AN AIR SHOW WAS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR FROM XXXX-XXXX LOCAL WITH THE ARPT BEING CLOSED TO ALL TFC EXCEPT SCHEDULED AIR CARRIERS. I WAS THE TWR LCL CTLR FROM XXXX-XXXX LOCAL. WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS THAT SOME ACFT WERE CALLING TO TAXI AND DEP AND SOME WEREN'T, THERE WERE UNCONTROLLED VEHICLES XING RWYS, ACFT MOVING AROUND, AND PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS RWYS. IN ADDITION THE FAA COORDINATOR WAS INSTRUCTING THE LCL CTLR WHAT RWYS TO LAND AIR CARRIERS ON REGARDLESS OF WINDS AND OBSTRUCTIONS, PEOPLE, VEHICLES, ON OR NEAR RWYS. AT ONE POINT THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE WANTED AN AIR CARRIER TO LAND ON RWY 28 WITH HOT AIR BALLOONS TETHERED, MOVING AROUND, LNDG AND DEPARTING BESIDE RWY 28. I HAD THE AIR CARRIER CIRCLE TO RWY 18 TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE HOT AIR BALLOONS. I FELT THAT THE ENTIRE AIR SHOW OPERATION WAS HANDLED UNSAFELY, THERE WAS NO POSITIVE CONTROL TO ENSURE THE SAFE OPERATION OF ACFT DUE TO THE LACK OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE AIR SHOW PEOPLE AND THE TWR. THERE WERE PEOPLE TRYING TO CONTROL ACFT FROM THE AIR SHOW AREA WITHOUT REGARD TO WHAT THE TWR HAD OR WAS DOING. EVEN AFTER THE TWR WAS TO BE CLOSED, A CTLR WAS TO PROVIDE AN ADVISORY SERVICE TO ACFT, THE CTLR WAS ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS TO SOME ACFT AND OTHERS WERE TOLD TO OPERATE AS IF AT AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT. THE TWR CTLR FINALLY QUIT WORKING AT XXXX LOCAL. AS A RECOMMENDATION TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SUGGEST BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN THE FAA AND AIR SHOW REPRESENTATIVE, AN AIR BOSS OR SOME APPOINTEE PROVIDE ADVISORY SERVICE TO AIR SHOW ACFT, THAT FAA CTLRS NOT ISSUE CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT AT AN ARPT NOTAM CLOSED FOR AN AIR SHOW, AND THAT ALL ARRIVALS AND DEPS BE AT THE PLTS RISK, AND THAT CTLRS BE REQUIRED THEY ONLY KEEP OTHER ACFT FROM ENTERING THE NOTAMED AREA.

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.