Narrative:

During the summer of 1993, teterboro tower supervisory personnel in concert with the tower chief, on multiple occasions, made active runway determinates based on ewr's traffic flow, despite excessive tailwind components (greater than 10 KTS) for aircraft operating to and from teterboro airport. This contradictory policy was brought to the attention of teterboro's tower chief. The response was understood to be: it is the pilot's choice to accept or reject the runway assignment as well as the pilot's choice to land or not to land. The fact that the ultimate decision is the pilot's choice cannot be disputed, nor was it the point of contention. I do object to the cavalier abandonment of setting the stage for reasonable and safe operations by the teterboro tower chief. I don't object to runway assignments counter to FAA (teterboro tower's internal correspondence on determining runway priority based on winds). This is personal opinion, but I think it is important to point out: a) air carrier operations would have requested a runway assignment change in a heartbeat because violation of aircraft limitations would create disciplinary problems for the individuals by their employers and FAA air carrier inspectors. B) speculation is that the cpr pilots seemingly accepted the runway assignment operating outside the aircraft limitations to protect their employment knowing the boss wanted to get to the next destination without undue delay or inconvenience. The FAA inspectors are not involved unless there is an incident or accident, so no one is looking and the operation goes uncontested. C) why the private pilot would choose to go along with teterboro's runway assignments is not understood at this time. My purpose in writing this report is because I felt a compromising situation was knowingly and repeatedly instituted, and it will continue if left unheeded. I hope you can do something before it is too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR OBJECTS TO BEING ASSIGNED A RWY WHERE EXCESSIVE (GREATER THAN 10 KTS) TAILWIND EXISTS.

Narrative: DURING THE SUMMER OF 1993, TETERBORO TWR SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL IN CONCERT WITH THE TWR CHIEF, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, MADE ACTIVE RWY DETERMINATES BASED ON EWR'S TFC FLOW, DESPITE EXCESSIVE TAILWIND COMPONENTS (GREATER THAN 10 KTS) FOR ACFT OPERATING TO AND FROM TETERBORO ARPT. THIS CONTRADICTORY POLICY WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF TETERBORO'S TWR CHIEF. THE RESPONSE WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE: IT IS THE PLT'S CHOICE TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE RWY ASSIGNMENT AS WELL AS THE PLT'S CHOICE TO LAND OR NOT TO LAND. THE FACT THAT THE ULTIMATE DECISION IS THE PLT'S CHOICE CANNOT BE DISPUTED, NOR WAS IT THE POINT OF CONTENTION. I DO OBJECT TO THE CAVALIER ABANDONMENT OF SETTING THE STAGE FOR REASONABLE AND SAFE OPS BY THE TETERBORO TWR CHIEF. I DON'T OBJECT TO RWY ASSIGNMENTS COUNTER TO FAA (TETERBORO TWR'S INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE ON DETERMINING RWY PRIORITY BASED ON WINDS). THIS IS PERSONAL OPINION, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT: A) ACR OPS WOULD HAVE REQUESTED A RWY ASSIGNMENT CHANGE IN A HEARTBEAT BECAUSE VIOLATION OF ACFT LIMITATIONS WOULD CREATE DISCIPLINARY PROBS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS BY THEIR EMPLOYERS AND FAA ACR INSPECTORS. B) SPECULATION IS THAT THE CPR PLTS SEEMINGLY ACCEPTED THE RWY ASSIGNMENT OPERATING OUTSIDE THE ACFT LIMITATIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EMPLOYMENT KNOWING THE BOSS WANTED TO GET TO THE NEXT DEST WITHOUT UNDUE DELAY OR INCONVENIENCE. THE FAA INSPECTORS ARE NOT INVOLVED UNLESS THERE IS AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT, SO NO ONE IS LOOKING AND THE OP GOES UNCONTESTED. C) WHY THE PVT PLT WOULD CHOOSE TO GO ALONG WITH TETERBORO'S RWY ASSIGNMENTS IS NOT UNDERSTOOD AT THIS TIME. MY PURPOSE IN WRITING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE I FELT A COMPROMISING SIT WAS KNOWINGLY AND REPEATEDLY INSTITUTED, AND IT WILL CONTINUE IF LEFT UNHEEDED. I HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

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.