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An small transport pilot had a little spat with the unicom operator who was playing air traffic controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 233334 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dcu |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6500 |
| ASRS Report | 233334 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On the afternoon of feb/wed/93 I was preparing to depart runway 36 at decatur, al. While performing my before takeoff checklist, I was partially aware of the unicom giving someone an airport advisory. I remember the unicom telling the aircraft that the wind was calm and that someone (me) had recently taxied out. The man on the unicom then directed a call to me. He said that in the future he would appreciate it if I would tell the unicom of my intentions before I taxied out. Because I perceived this as an unwarranted scolding, my reply was that I did not need his permission. Then, since I had not heard the inbound aircraft report in the pattern, I told any decatur traffic that I was departing runway 36. As I was beginning my takeoff roll, the unicom came on and said he had traffic for runway 18 and that I should taxi clear of the runway. Since I had not seen or heard any traffic report in the pattern, I continued my takeoff. The unicom then began giving directions to the inbound traffic. The inbound traffic was instructed to deviate to the right of course as if he was on final for runway 18. The unicom then proceeded to berate me for departing runway 36. I never saw any traffic on final or anywhere else in the pattern. I believe the unicom was telling the other aircraft to break off to the right of course in an effort to frighten me. If there was an aircraft in the pattern, he had not entered on the downwind because he could not have gotten on final that quickly. This unsolicited amateur air traffic control was not only aggravating but dangerous because it tied up the frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SMT PLT HAD A LITTLE SPAT WITH THE UNICOM OPERATOR WHO WAS PLAYING AIR TFC CTLR.
Narrative: ON THE AFTERNOON OF FEB/WED/93 I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART RWY 36 AT DECATUR, AL. WHILE PERFORMING MY BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, I WAS PARTIALLY AWARE OF THE UNICOM GIVING SOMEONE AN ARPT ADVISORY. I REMEMBER THE UNICOM TELLING THE ACFT THAT THE WIND WAS CALM AND THAT SOMEONE (ME) HAD RECENTLY TAXIED OUT. THE MAN ON THE UNICOM THEN DIRECTED A CALL TO ME. HE SAID THAT IN THE FUTURE HE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF I WOULD TELL THE UNICOM OF MY INTENTIONS BEFORE I TAXIED OUT. BECAUSE I PERCEIVED THIS AS AN UNWARRANTED SCOLDING, MY REPLY WAS THAT I DID NOT NEED HIS PERMISSION. THEN, SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD THE INBOUND ACFT RPT IN THE PATTERN, I TOLD ANY DECATUR TFC THAT I WAS DEPARTING RWY 36. AS I WAS BEGINNING MY TKOF ROLL, THE UNICOM CAME ON AND SAID HE HAD TFC FOR RWY 18 AND THAT I SHOULD TAXI CLR OF THE RWY. SINCE I HAD NOT SEEN OR HEARD ANY TFC RPT IN THE PATTERN, I CONTINUED MY TKOF. THE UNICOM THEN BEGAN GIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE INBOUND TFC. THE INBOUND TFC WAS INSTRUCTED TO DEVIATE TO THE R OF COURSE AS IF HE WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 18. THE UNICOM THEN PROCEEDED TO BERATE ME FOR DEPARTING RWY 36. I NEVER SAW ANY TFC ON FINAL OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE PATTERN. I BELIEVE THE UNICOM WAS TELLING THE OTHER ACFT TO BREAK OFF TO THE R OF COURSE IN AN EFFORT TO FRIGHTEN ME. IF THERE WAS AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN, HE HAD NOT ENTERED ON THE DOWNWIND BECAUSE HE COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN ON FINAL THAT QUICKLY. THIS UNSOLICITED AMATEUR AIR TFC CTL WAS NOT ONLY AGGRAVATING BUT DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT TIED UP THE FREQ.
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.