Narrative:

I am enclosing a letter that I wrote to chief, division of aeronautics for the state of ca, about a safety problem by installing electric (gates) at a runway. His department has chose to disregard the FAA document for runway incursion plan and listen to a non pilot, non active pilot group that idented in my view an untrue safety problem. By their actions, they are causing a major safety problem for aircraft clearing the runway and potential gars. In my professional view, pilots should not have to worry about an electric gate at the runway. Their attention should be focused on their aircraft and other aircraft, not a nonstandard operation at a public airport. It does not take much imagination to see how a pilot could be distracted by a moving gate and pull out in front of another or have a mechanical electric gate malfunction and foul the runway for another aircraft. It is my impression that this gate is located 20 yards from the edge of the runway. This gate will also restrict a designed wide taxiway to an unsafe wing clearance margin. The taxiways are restr to a maximum wing span of 49 ft by ccr's. This gate will be the only one that I know of in the entire united states at a runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he and pilots group have contacted both cal trans and department of aeronautics regarding situation. Feel it is extremely unsafe. Too close to runway, difficult to determine at night, if someone not aware of gate, it could create tremendous hazard. Many tail draggers and home-builts have no radios with which to activate the gate. They would have to shut down, get out, open gate and cause a traffic jam as each one does so. Reporter believes agencies should use guidelines from FAA runway incursion plan to seek better solutions. Analyst advised reporter of hotline. Analyst also contacted airport manager who stated that construction on the gates was now underway, one on each taxiway leading southwest from the runway. The northern most gate to the runway will be 155 ft from the runway centerline, while the seastern gate will be 150 ft from the centerline. Runway width is 50 ft which provides 130 and 125 ft clearance from the runway edge, respectively. This should allow sufficient room for several small aircraft to hold clear of the runway without interfering with lndgs or departures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONCERN REF PROJECTED INSTALLATION OF GATE AT RWY TO KEEP VEHICLES OUT.

Narrative: I AM ENCLOSING A LETTER THAT I WROTE TO CHIEF, DIVISION OF AERONAUTICS FOR THE STATE OF CA, ABOUT A SAFETY PROBLEM BY INSTALLING ELECTRIC (GATES) AT A RWY. HIS DEPT HAS CHOSE TO DISREGARD THE FAA DOCUMENT FOR RWY INCURSION PLAN AND LISTEN TO A NON PLT, NON ACTIVE PLT GROUP THAT IDENTED IN MY VIEW AN UNTRUE SAFETY PROBLEM. BY THEIR ACTIONS, THEY ARE CAUSING A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM FOR ACFT CLRING THE RWY AND POTENTIAL GARS. IN MY PROFESSIONAL VIEW, PLTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AN ELECTRIC GATE AT THE RWY. THEIR ATTN SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THEIR ACFT AND OTHER ACFT, NOT A NONSTANDARD OP AT A PUBLIC ARPT. IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH IMAGINATION TO SEE HOW A PLT COULD BE DISTRACTED BY A MOVING GATE AND PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER OR HAVE A MECHANICAL ELECTRIC GATE MALFUNCTION AND FOUL THE RWY FOR ANOTHER ACFT. IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT THIS GATE IS LOCATED 20 YARDS FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THIS GATE WILL ALSO RESTRICT A DESIGNED WIDE TAXIWAY TO AN UNSAFE WING CLRNC MARGIN. THE TAXIWAYS ARE RESTR TO A MAX WING SPAN OF 49 FT BY CCR'S. THIS GATE WILL BE THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNOW OF IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES AT A RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE AND PLTS GROUP HAVE CONTACTED BOTH CAL TRANS AND DEPT OF AERONAUTICS REGARDING SITUATION. FEEL IT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE. TOO CLOSE TO RWY, DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AT NIGHT, IF SOMEONE NOT AWARE OF GATE, IT COULD CREATE TREMENDOUS HAZARD. MANY TAIL DRAGGERS AND HOME-BUILTS HAVE NO RADIOS WITH WHICH TO ACTIVATE THE GATE. THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHUT DOWN, GET OUT, OPEN GATE AND CAUSE A TFC JAM AS EACH ONE DOES SO. RPTR BELIEVES AGENCIES SHOULD USE GUIDELINES FROM FAA RWY INCURSION PLAN TO SEEK BETTER SOLUTIONS. ANALYST ADVISED RPTR OF HOTLINE. ANALYST ALSO CONTACTED ARPT MGR WHO STATED THAT CONSTRUCTION ON THE GATES WAS NOW UNDERWAY, ONE ON EACH TAXIWAY LEADING SW FROM THE RWY. THE NORTHERN MOST GATE TO THE RWY WILL BE 155 FT FROM THE RWY CTRLINE, WHILE THE SEASTERN GATE WILL BE 150 FT FROM THE CTRLINE. RWY WIDTH IS 50 FT WHICH PROVIDES 130 AND 125 FT CLRNC FROM THE RWY EDGE, RESPECTIVELY. THIS SHOULD ALLOW SUFFICIENT ROOM FOR SEVERAL SMALL ACFT TO HOLD CLR OF THE RWY WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH LNDGS OR DEPS.

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.