Situation report regarding improper, poorly placed taxiway signs.

Attributes
ACN	121290
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : laf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 8
ASRS Report	121290
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

The problem at lafayette purdue university airport is poorly placed runway/taxiway signs. The problem has been here at least 3 yrs. It has been known about for as long as 3 yrs. Contributing factors, as I have been told by management, is the airport manager refuses to correct the situation. Corrective actions by airport management and FAA management are nonexistent. Whenever runway 5 is in use, many aircraft taxiing from the main ramp see signs with arrows pointing to the departure end as runway 5. Most aircraft, including air taxies, have to be told step by step instructions to get to runway 5 or 10. With the increasing concern of runway incursions the FAA has placed on the controller work force, it doesn't make any sense having aircraft taxiing the wrong directions for no apparent reason. I have just had to personally direct 2 air taxies and a twin to runways 5 and 10. These 3 aircraft taxied only 3 minutes apart from each other. This is a normal occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SITUATION REPORT REGARDING IMPROPER, POORLY PLACED TXWY SIGNS.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM AT LAFAYETTE PURDUE UNIVERSITY ARPT IS POORLY PLACED RWY/TXWY SIGNS. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN HERE AT LEAST 3 YRS. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN ABOUT FOR AS LONG AS 3 YRS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, AS I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MGMNT, IS THE ARPT MGR REFUSES TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS BY ARPT MGMNT AND FAA MGMNT ARE NONEXISTENT. WHENEVER RWY 5 IS IN USE, MANY ACFT TAXIING FROM THE MAIN RAMP SEE SIGNS WITH ARROWS POINTING TO THE DEP END AS RWY 5. MOST ACFT, INCLUDING AIR TAXIES, HAVE TO BE TOLD STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO GET TO RWY 5 OR 10. WITH THE INCREASING CONCERN OF RWY INCURSIONS THE FAA HAS PLACED ON THE CTLR WORK FORCE, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE HAVING ACFT TAXIING THE WRONG DIRECTIONS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE JUST HAD TO PERSONALLY DIRECT 2 AIR TAXIES AND A TWIN TO RWYS 5 AND 10. THESE 3 ACFT TAXIED ONLY 3 MINUTES APART FROM EACH OTHER. THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE.

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.