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Confusion reigns as reporter cites 2 ground vehicles chasing deer on airport while multiple use of tower frequency is in progress. Reporter cites use of frequency for tower and ground control in marginal WX conditions with unknown whereabouts of vehicles as a definite hazard. Complains of understaffing of tower position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 131561 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198911 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mco |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mco |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach ground other : taxi landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 131561 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Mco WX approximately 200' and 2 mi. 1 person was handling tower duties, ground control duties, at least 1 missed approach because tower could not see runway, and 2 ground vehicles chasing deer. Tower was having to ask everyone their position, and not sure of ground vehicles' position. Constant extraneous chatter on tower frequency--a danger to flight safety at any time, but doubly so when WX was at minimums with a tailwind approach (a specialty of mco), and tower was clearly overloaded. Tower had a constant stream of talk going on--almost all with taxiing aircraft and the ground vehicles. Aircraft should have been turned over to a ground controller to leave the tower frequency open for flying aircraft usage.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CONFUSION REIGNS AS REPORTER CITES 2 GND VEHICLES CHASING DEER ON ARPT WHILE MULTIPLE USE OF TWR FREQ IS IN PROGRESS. REPORTER CITES USE OF FREQ FOR TWR AND GND CTL IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS WITH UNKNOWN WHEREABOUTS OF VEHICLES AS A DEFINITE HAZARD. COMPLAINS OF UNDERSTAFFING OF TWR POSITION.
Narrative: MCO WX APPROX 200' AND 2 MI. 1 PERSON WAS HANDLING TWR DUTIES, GND CTL DUTIES, AT LEAST 1 MISSED APCH BECAUSE TWR COULD NOT SEE RWY, AND 2 GND VEHICLES CHASING DEER. TWR WAS HAVING TO ASK EVERYONE THEIR POS, AND NOT SURE OF GND VEHICLES' POS. CONSTANT EXTRANEOUS CHATTER ON TWR FREQ--A DANGER TO FLT SAFETY AT ANY TIME, BUT DOUBLY SO WHEN WX WAS AT MINIMUMS WITH A TAILWIND APCH (A SPECIALTY OF MCO), AND TWR WAS CLEARLY OVERLOADED. TWR HAD A CONSTANT STREAM OF TALK GOING ON--ALMOST ALL WITH TAXIING ACFT AND THE GND VEHICLES. ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED OVER TO A GND CTLR TO LEAVE THE TWR FREQ OPEN FOR FLYING ACFT USAGE.
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.