Narrative:

The schenectady county (title of person) for the schenectady county airport, is out of control, refusing to abide by FAA regulations and procedures. He constantly enters movement areas without clrncs, enters the runway without clearance (aircraft landing), refuses to comply. Insists he needs no clearance, he is the boss. He interferes with tower operation, demanding controllers use closed portions of the airport, allows model aircraft to be flown without advising tower, gives permission to contractors and workers to enter the movement areas without clearance from tower and without radio, not advising tower of construction and crane operations, not including tower in user meetings, especially meetings to coordinate airshows, telling controllers not to give bird advisories, telling controllers not to write down deficiencies observed during runway checks, letting non-ATC people borrow our back- up radios, leaving tower with no emergency communication. Telling controllers not to call FSDO on incidents and basically to follow his verbal rules, not FAA procedures, since he alone owns this airport. He is not ATC rated, just a part-time political appointee who is not qualified and cares nothing about safety or regulations, and is dangerous!! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the country runs the airport and hires and fires the controllers. As a result, the airport official is essentially their boss. Reporter gave an example where the official allowed a 150 ft crane to be stationed approximately 400 ft away from the runway without lights for a period of time. There was no communication or discussion with the tower before hand. The facility manager allegedly has a discrimination complaint filed against this person. There are 4 controllers assigned to the tower. Reporter has been at facility for 9 yrs. He claims they run about 500 operations per day and believes that better coordination is needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT INTERFERENCE FROM ARPT OFFICIAL THAT IS CONTRARY TO FAA REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: THE SCHENECTADY COUNTY (TITLE OF PERSON) FOR THE SCHENECTADY COUNTY ARPT, IS OUT OF CTL, REFUSING TO ABIDE BY FAA REGS AND PROCS. HE CONSTANTLY ENTERS MOVEMENT AREAS WITHOUT CLRNCS, ENTERS THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC (ACFT LNDG), REFUSES TO COMPLY. INSISTS HE NEEDS NO CLRNC, HE IS THE BOSS. HE INTERFERES WITH TWR OP, DEMANDING CTLRS USE CLOSED PORTIONS OF THE ARPT, ALLOWS MODEL ACFT TO BE FLOWN WITHOUT ADVISING TWR, GIVES PERMISSION TO CONTRACTORS AND WORKERS TO ENTER THE MOVEMENT AREAS WITHOUT CLRNC FROM TWR AND WITHOUT RADIO, NOT ADVISING TWR OF CONSTRUCTION AND CRANE OPS, NOT INCLUDING TWR IN USER MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY MEETINGS TO COORDINATE AIRSHOWS, TELLING CTLRS NOT TO GIVE BIRD ADVISORIES, TELLING CTLRS NOT TO WRITE DOWN DEFICIENCIES OBSERVED DURING RWY CHKS, LETTING NON-ATC PEOPLE BORROW OUR BACK- UP RADIOS, LEAVING TWR WITH NO EMER COM. TELLING CTLRS NOT TO CALL FSDO ON INCIDENTS AND BASICALLY TO FOLLOW HIS VERBAL RULES, NOT FAA PROCS, SINCE HE ALONE OWNS THIS ARPT. HE IS NOT ATC RATED, JUST A PART-TIME POLITICAL APPOINTEE WHO IS NOT QUALIFIED AND CARES NOTHING ABOUT SAFETY OR REGS, AND IS DANGEROUS!! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE COUNTRY RUNS THE ARPT AND HIRES AND FIRES THE CTLRS. AS A RESULT, THE ARPT OFFICIAL IS ESSENTIALLY THEIR BOSS. RPTR GAVE AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE OFFICIAL ALLOWED A 150 FT CRANE TO BE STATIONED APPROX 400 FT AWAY FROM THE RWY WITHOUT LIGHTS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THERE WAS NO COM OR DISCUSSION WITH THE TWR BEFORE HAND. THE FACILITY MGR ALLEGEDLY HAS A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST THIS PERSON. THERE ARE 4 CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE TWR. RPTR HAS BEEN AT FACILITY FOR 9 YRS. HE CLAIMS THEY RUN ABOUT 500 OPS PER DAY AND BELIEVES THAT BETTER COORD IS NEEDED.

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.