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Charter pilot complains of no telephone available at local airport for closing flight plan or any emergency services, fuel, WX or transportation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 224936 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199210 |
| Day | Thu |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : 1g5 |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 9600 |
| ASRS Report | 224936 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
This report is for an unsafe airport -- the medina county airport located in medina, oh. This airport has no telephone. After landing after hours, tried to find a telephone to close a flight plan. There is no telephone on the airport available to pilots after hours. This is an unsafe situation because it forces a pilot to fly without a WX briefing, takeoff and pick up an IFR clearance in the air. There is no way to report an accident, no way to call the police for any reason, no way to call the fire department if there is a fire at the airport, no way to call a cabin attendant to pick up passenger at the airport. The closest telephone is a long walk, a couple of mi to a shopping center, along a highway at night with no sidewalks. When a pilot finds there is no telephone at an airport, the aviation safety system breaks down without communication. Pilots need to be able to talk to FSS or ATC, police, fire, rescue services at any time of the day or night. A telephone at a public airport is a public necessity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has talked with airport operator reference telephone problem. Apparently, it would cost him $60 per month to have a pay telephone installed. Feels he cannot afford the expense. Reporter considers this a strong safety from all aspects as stated in narrative. Unable to make contact with approach from ground for any assistance there. Feels since this is a public airport, the city or county should provide a telephone. Reporter has a second issue of concern regarding use of only 800 numbers for WX. When across the border into canada, the 800 numbers are unusable and there is not good WX service available in canada. Local FSS telephone numbers are no longer published. He would be happy to pay the long distance call if he could get a local number. Please get FAA to publish these. Analyst referred him to the hot line to seek help as well.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CHARTER PLT COMPLAINS OF NO TELEPHONE AVAILABLE AT LCL ARPT FOR CLOSING FLT PLAN OR ANY EMER SVCS, FUEL, WX OR TRANSPORTATION.
Narrative: THIS RPT IS FOR AN UNSAFE ARPT -- THE MEDINA COUNTY ARPT LOCATED IN MEDINA, OH. THIS ARPT HAS NO TELEPHONE. AFTER LNDG AFTER HRS, TRIED TO FIND A TELEPHONE TO CLOSE A FLT PLAN. THERE IS NO TELEPHONE ON THE ARPT AVAILABLE TO PLTS AFTER HRS. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION BECAUSE IT FORCES A PLT TO FLY WITHOUT A WX BRIEFING, TKOF AND PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR. THERE IS NO WAY TO RPT AN ACCIDENT, NO WAY TO CALL THE POLICE FOR ANY REASON, NO WAY TO CALL THE FIRE DEPT IF THERE IS A FIRE AT THE ARPT, NO WAY TO CALL A CAB TO PICK UP PAX AT THE ARPT. THE CLOSEST TELEPHONE IS A LONG WALK, A COUPLE OF MI TO A SHOPPING CTR, ALONG A HWY AT NIGHT WITH NO SIDEWALKS. WHEN A PLT FINDS THERE IS NO TELEPHONE AT AN ARPT, THE AVIATION SAFETY SYS BREAKS DOWN WITHOUT COM. PLTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO FSS OR ATC, POLICE, FIRE, RESCUE SVCS AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. A TELEPHONE AT A PUBLIC ARPT IS A PUBLIC NECESSITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE HAS TALKED WITH ARPT OPERATOR REF TELEPHONE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, IT WOULD COST HIM $60 PER MONTH TO HAVE A PAY TELEPHONE INSTALLED. FEELS HE CANNOT AFFORD THE EXPENSE. RPTR CONSIDERS THIS A STRONG SAFETY FROM ALL ASPECTS AS STATED IN NARRATIVE. UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH APCH FROM GND FOR ANY ASSISTANCE THERE. FEELS SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC ARPT, THE CITY OR COUNTY SHOULD PROVIDE A TELEPHONE. RPTR HAS A SECOND ISSUE OF CONCERN REGARDING USE OF ONLY 800 NUMBERS FOR WX. WHEN ACROSS THE BORDER INTO CANADA, THE 800 NUMBERS ARE UNUSABLE AND THERE IS NOT GOOD WX SVC AVAILABLE IN CANADA. LCL FSS TELEPHONE NUMBERS ARE NO LONGER PUBLISHED. HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO PAY THE LONG DISTANCE CALL IF HE COULD GET A LCL NUMBER. PLEASE GET FAA TO PUBLISH THESE. ANALYST REFERRED HIM TO THE HOT LINE TO SEEK HELP AS WELL.
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.