Narrative:

On fri/feb/92, I was approaching titusville airport from the west. Although there was no particular reason for doing so, tower advised me there was right hand traffic instead of left hand. Therefore I swung to my left and arranged to make right hand traffic. This caused my flight path to be across the line of the aircraft taking off. I observed an aircraft taking off but was about 2 mi away. The tower later bawled me out for crossing the takeoff line. I replied I was well clear of the plane taking off. He heard the chatter and commented that he did not even see me, so far away was he. No accident resulted, or anywhere near it. The tower operator chatters constantly. Sometimes it is hard to get him because he has the line tied up with his chatter. It is excessive. I mentioned it to him but he insisted he has many hours of handling traffic in vietnam. I too have been a tower operator but I consider his remarks excessive. So do many other pilots. In his zeal to run things he wants to know where you are going. And then he tells everyone to look out for you. He is almost paranoid about this. If they ran the tower properly, only one landing direction would be allowed. As it is, he lands aircraft from all directions. Left hand traffic should be standard. Instead of helping, as he sincerely thinks he is, he is hurting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated tix tower is a county operated facility. The reporter stated the controller uses all runways to land and departure traffic. Reporter feels the controller should set one runway as the active runway and then just line everybody up and let the pilot's take care of themselves. Reporter feels the controller talks too much informing pilot's about traffic and insuring instructions are followed. Reporter was advised he could contact the local FSDO office and have the matter looked into if he felt the operation was unsafe. Analyst feels there is a test of wills between the controller and the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X UNAUTHORIZED ATA ENTRY HAD CONFLICT WITH DEP ACFT Y. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ON FRI/FEB/92, I WAS APCHING TITUSVILLE ARPT FROM THE WEST. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO PARTICULAR REASON FOR DOING SO, TWR ADVISED ME THERE WAS R HAND TFC INSTEAD OF L HAND. THEREFORE I SWUNG TO MY L AND ARRANGED TO MAKE R HAND TFC. THIS CAUSED MY FLT PATH TO BE ACROSS THE LINE OF THE ACFT TAKING OFF. I OBSERVED AN ACFT TAKING OFF BUT WAS ABOUT 2 MI AWAY. THE TWR LATER BAWLED ME OUT FOR XING THE TKOF LINE. I REPLIED I WAS WELL CLR OF THE PLANE TAKING OFF. HE HEARD THE CHATTER AND COMMENTED THAT HE DID NOT EVEN SEE ME, SO FAR AWAY WAS HE. NO ACCIDENT RESULTED, OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT. THE TWR OPERATOR CHATTERS CONSTANTLY. SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO GET HIM BECAUSE HE HAS THE LINE TIED UP WITH HIS CHATTER. IT IS EXCESSIVE. I MENTIONED IT TO HIM BUT HE INSISTED HE HAS MANY HRS OF HANDLING TFC IN VIETNAM. I TOO HAVE BEEN A TWR OPERATOR BUT I CONSIDER HIS REMARKS EXCESSIVE. SO DO MANY OTHER PLTS. IN HIS ZEAL TO RUN THINGS HE WANTS TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING. AND THEN HE TELLS EVERYONE TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU. HE IS ALMOST PARANOID ABOUT THIS. IF THEY RAN THE TWR PROPERLY, ONLY ONE LNDG DIRECTION WOULD BE ALLOWED. AS IT IS, HE LANDS ACFT FROM ALL DIRECTIONS. L HAND TFC SHOULD BE STANDARD. INSTEAD OF HELPING, AS HE SINCERELY THINKS HE IS, HE IS HURTING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED TIX TWR IS A COUNTY OPERATED FACILITY. THE RPTR STATED THE CTLR USES ALL RWYS TO LAND AND DEP TFC. RPTR FEELS THE CTLR SHOULD SET ONE RWY AS THE ACTIVE RWY AND THEN JUST LINE EVERYBODY UP AND LET THE PLT'S TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. RPTR FEELS THE CTLR TALKS TOO MUCH INFORMING PLT'S ABOUT TFC AND INSURING INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED. RPTR WAS ADVISED HE COULD CONTACT THE LCL FSDO OFFICE AND HAVE THE MATTER LOOKED INTO IF HE FELT THE OP WAS UNSAFE. ANALYST FEELS THERE IS A TEST OF WILLS BTWN THE CTLR AND THE RPTR.

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.