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High noise level in tower cabin that interfered with controllers hearing aircraft transmissions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 151919 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : eug |
| State Reference | OR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 151919 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The tower manager promotes tours, anytime, in the tower cabin. We are a level I VFR tower. There is very little to see here except a good view. On the above date and time a tour was brought into the tower cabin by the controller in charge. It consisted of 3 adults and 8 children the youngest 5 months and the oldest 4 yrs. The children were uncontrolled and loud and noisy. I asked the controller in charge (also the tour guide) to quiet them down--I had been unable to hear a transmission. I missed another transmission 1 min later due to noise. I then shouted to the tourists to please be quite. It became a low roar. The controller in charge (tour guide) did nothing. I then had a situation developing--couldn't hear either aircraft. I shouted loudly for everyone to be quiet. It finally shut them up and they (the tourist) took the crying baby out of the tower cabin. There should be no tours in any air traffic facility--it plainly compromised safety too much--especially in smaller facs such as level I towers.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HIGH NOISE LEVEL IN TWR CABIN THAT INTERFERED WITH CTLRS HEARING ACFT TRANSMISSIONS.
Narrative: THE TWR MGR PROMOTES TOURS, ANYTIME, IN THE TWR CABIN. WE ARE A LEVEL I VFR TWR. THERE IS VERY LITTLE TO SEE HERE EXCEPT A GOOD VIEW. ON THE ABOVE DATE AND TIME A TOUR WAS BROUGHT INTO THE TWR CABIN BY THE CIC. IT CONSISTED OF 3 ADULTS AND 8 CHILDREN THE YOUNGEST 5 MONTHS AND THE OLDEST 4 YRS. THE CHILDREN WERE UNCONTROLLED AND LOUD AND NOISY. I ASKED THE CIC (ALSO THE TOUR GUIDE) TO QUIET THEM DOWN--I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO HEAR A XMISSION. I MISSED ANOTHER XMISSION 1 MIN LATER DUE TO NOISE. I THEN SHOUTED TO THE TOURISTS TO PLEASE BE QUITE. IT BECAME A LOW ROAR. THE CIC (TOUR GUIDE) DID NOTHING. I THEN HAD A SITUATION DEVELOPING--COULDN'T HEAR EITHER ACFT. I SHOUTED LOUDLY FOR EVERYONE TO BE QUIET. IT FINALLY SHUT THEM UP AND THEY (THE TOURIST) TOOK THE CRYING BABY OUT OF THE TWR CABIN. THERE SHOULD BE NO TOURS IN ANY AIR TFC FAC--IT PLAINLY COMPROMISED SAFETY TOO MUCH--ESPECIALLY IN SMALLER FACS SUCH AS LEVEL I TWRS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.