<< >> NASA ASRS Report 118343, July 1989

Equipment problem at air traffic facility causes controller distraction.

Attributes
ACN	118343
Time
Date	198907
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : law
State Reference	OK
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	118343
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

The situation described below is an ongoing problem at law ATC tower. The tower has never been equipped with head sets. As a result of this long uncorrected oversight, the controllers are forced to use hand mikes and speakers at the local control and ground control positions. The speakers are only 6 feet (approximately) apart, and when both positions are active the noise level is such that nothing can be heard well, let alone understood. This situation has caused many instances of lost or misunderstood information from a pilot or from a coordinating controller. While we have never had an operational error that I have seen, the controller feel that the chances of this happening are unjustifiably high. Also, when the noise level is high the controllers need to bend down over the speakers to hear. This brings the focus of attention inside the tower cabin attendant instead of outside, scanning the runway and control zone as they are required to do by regulations. Solution: FAA needs to equipment with starset type head sets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EQUIPMENT PROBLEM AT AIR TRAFFIC FAC CAUSES CTLR DISTRACTION.

Narrative: THE SITUATION DESCRIBED BELOW IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AT LAW ATC TWR. THE TWR HAS NEVER BEEN EQUIPPED WITH HEAD SETS. AS A RESULT OF THIS LONG UNCORRECTED OVERSIGHT, THE CTLRS ARE FORCED TO USE HAND MIKES AND SPEAKERS AT THE LCL CTL AND GND CTL POSITIONS. THE SPEAKERS ARE ONLY 6 FEET (APPROX) APART, AND WHEN BOTH POSITIONS ARE ACTIVE THE NOISE LEVEL IS SUCH THAT NOTHING CAN BE HEARD WELL, LET ALONE UNDERSTOOD. THIS SITUATION HAS CAUSED MANY INSTANCES OF LOST OR MISUNDERSTOOD INFORMATION FROM A PLT OR FROM A COORDINATING CTLR. WHILE WE HAVE NEVER HAD AN OPERATIONAL ERROR THAT I HAVE SEEN, THE CTLR FEEL THAT THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING ARE UNJUSTIFIABLY HIGH. ALSO, WHEN THE NOISE LEVEL IS HIGH THE CTLRS NEED TO BEND DOWN OVER THE SPEAKERS TO HEAR. THIS BRINGS THE FOCUS OF ATTN INSIDE THE TWR CAB INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE, SCANNING THE RWY AND CTL ZONE AS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO BY REGS. SOLUTION: FAA NEEDS TO EQUIP WITH STARSET TYPE HEAD SETS.

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.