Conflicting runway braking action reports given to tower. Several persons attempted to dictate and c...

Narrative:

I was operating all positions in the flo ATC tower. Snow had been falling. Airport security reported the braking action for runway 18 as nil. The braking action on runway 9 was poor over the first half and nil over the second half. An XXX light transport made initial contacft with flo approach and was given the braking action. The light transport executed an ILS runway 9 approach and landed runway 9 west/O incident. The crew reported to the tower braking action poor on runway 9. The captain of the light transport phoned the controller in charge and informed him XXX airline couldn't legally land or takeoff with reports of nil braking action. The captain said braking action was fair. This report contradicted his earlier report of poor. The assistant flo airport manager called the tower to discuss braking action and informed tower manager no reports of braking action nil were to be issued or received. Tower manager informed the assistant airport manager braking action reports received would be relayed as is, regardless of their quality. Airport security conducted a runway check and reported braking action nil on all runways, and reported braking action nil on all runways. 3-5' of snow on runway 18 and 1 1/2-2' of snow on runway 9. Mobile 7 reported she had been directed to upgrade her previous braking action report to braking action poor on runway 9. There was no additional runway check made prior to this report. Security mobile 7 phoned me and informed me that security chief had ordered her to upgrade her braking action report based on field conditions 1 1/2 hours earlier, while he was on duty. The chief ordered her to give all braking action reports to him prior to disseminating them. She also told me she felt braking action was nil and was confused on what actions to take. Tower manager was informed I was suspicious that fraudulent airport conditions reports were being issued. Mobile 7 conducted a runway check and made no report of conditions. Later airport security reported braking action poor on runway 18 and braking action fair on runway 9. This report is submitted in the interest of aviation safety. The flo regl airport received continuous snowfall from afternoon through late evening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICTING RWY BRAKING ACTION REPORTS GIVEN TO TWR. SEVERAL PERSONS ATTEMPTED TO DICTATE AND CONTROL THE BRAKING ACTION REPORTS. TWR MANAGER REFUSED TO MODIFY BRAKING REPORTS AS DICTATED BY SECURITY CHIEF.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING ALL POSITIONS IN THE FLO ATC TWR. SNOW HAD BEEN FALLING. ARPT SECURITY RPTED THE BRAKING ACTION FOR RWY 18 AS NIL. THE BRAKING ACTION ON RWY 9 WAS POOR OVER THE FIRST HALF AND NIL OVER THE SECOND HALF. AN XXX LTT MADE INITIAL CONTACFT WITH FLO APCH AND WAS GIVEN THE BRAKING ACTION. THE LTT EXECUTED AN ILS RWY 9 APCH AND LANDED RWY 9 W/O INCIDENT. THE CREW RPTED TO THE TWR BRAKING ACTION POOR ON RWY 9. THE CAPT OF THE LTT PHONED THE CTLR IN CHARGE AND INFORMED HIM XXX AIRLINE COULDN'T LEGALLY LAND OR TKOF WITH RPTS OF NIL BRAKING ACTION. THE CAPT SAID BRAKING ACTION WAS FAIR. THIS RPT CONTRADICTED HIS EARLIER RPT OF POOR. THE ASSISTANT FLO ARPT MGR CALLED THE TWR TO DISCUSS BRAKING ACTION AND INFORMED TWR MGR NO RPTS OF BRAKING ACTION NIL WERE TO BE ISSUED OR RECEIVED. TWR MGR INFORMED THE ASSISTANT ARPT MGR BRAKING ACTION RPTS RECEIVED WOULD BE RELAYED AS IS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR QUALITY. ARPT SECURITY CONDUCTED A RWY CHK AND RPTED BRAKING ACTION NIL ON ALL RWYS, AND RPTED BRAKING ACTION NIL ON ALL RWYS. 3-5' OF SNOW ON RWY 18 AND 1 1/2-2' OF SNOW ON RWY 9. MOBILE 7 RPTED SHE HAD BEEN DIRECTED TO UPGRADE HER PREVIOUS BRAKING ACTION RPT TO BRAKING ACTION POOR ON RWY 9. THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL RWY CHK MADE PRIOR TO THIS RPT. SECURITY MOBILE 7 PHONED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT SECURITY CHIEF HAD ORDERED HER TO UPGRADE HER BRAKING ACTION RPT BASED ON FIELD CONDITIONS 1 1/2 HRS EARLIER, WHILE HE WAS ON DUTY. THE CHIEF ORDERED HER TO GIVE ALL BRAKING ACTION RPTS TO HIM PRIOR TO DISSEMINATING THEM. SHE ALSO TOLD ME SHE FELT BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL AND WAS CONFUSED ON WHAT ACTIONS TO TAKE. TWR MGR WAS INFORMED I WAS SUSPICIOUS THAT FRAUDULENT ARPT CONDITIONS RPTS WERE BEING ISSUED. MOBILE 7 CONDUCTED A RWY CHK AND MADE NO RPT OF CONDITIONS. LATER ARPT SECURITY RPTED BRAKING ACTION POOR ON RWY 18 AND BRAKING ACTION FAIR ON RWY 9. THIS RPT IS SUBMITTED IN THE INTEREST OF AVIATION SAFETY. THE FLO REGL ARPT RECEIVED CONTINUOUS SNOWFALL FROM AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE EVENING.

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.

Attributes
ACN	131957
Time
Date	198912
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : flo
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 623
ASRS Report	131957
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
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

Conflicting runway braking action reports given to tower. Several persons attempted to dictate and control the braking action reports. Tower manager refused to modify braking reports as dictated by security chief.