Narrative:

Eagle, co, was recently given 70000 dollars by the FAA in dec/93 to fund its seasonal ATC facility (mobile ground unit). There are a number of safety concerns with the present operation. Due to inadequate eagle county mobile tower ht, airport vehicles and small aircraft are not visible on the only 2 connecting txwys, to and from the north ramp area, until the traffic is almost on top of the active runway. Additionally, small aircraft on some portions of the main parallel taxiway, including alpha-1 taxiway which leads to the approach end of runway 25, are not always visible from the mobile tower when aircraft are parked on the outer portion of the primary airport parking ramp, which is on the south side of the parallel taxiway and active runway. Air/ground communication with aircraft on their primary instrument arrival route, which is south of kremmling VORTAC and an area just north of the eagle ILS instrument approach course, are often times broken and garbled. Simultaneous transmitting and continuous reception of more than 1 frequency at an operating position is not possible, only 1 activated transmit/receive frequency selection is possible from a position of operation. This condition restricts controller flexibility during times when only 1 controller is on duty, which is the majority of time. Additionally, normal operation of the voice recorder equipment was often times less than satisfactory and was a distraction because of the difficulty in maintaining its continuous operation. Position control reference the above listed items is an impossibility. I feel the eagle county mobile tower is an unsatisfactory imitation of a 'comparable FAA ATCT (mobile or fixed).' safety should remain the top priority when providing ATC services. This is the second yr this tower facility has been utilized, and in the same airport location.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT NOT SEEING THE ENTIRE ARPT DUE TO LOW HT OF MOBILE TWR AND FREQ PROBS.

Narrative: EAGLE, CO, WAS RECENTLY GIVEN 70000 DOLLARS BY THE FAA IN DEC/93 TO FUND ITS SEASONAL ATC FACILITY (MOBILE GND UNIT). THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE PRESENT OP. DUE TO INADEQUATE EAGLE COUNTY MOBILE TWR HT, ARPT VEHICLES AND SMALL ACFT ARE NOT VISIBLE ON THE ONLY 2 CONNECTING TXWYS, TO AND FROM THE N RAMP AREA, UNTIL THE TFC IS ALMOST ON TOP OF THE ACTIVE RWY. ADDITIONALLY, SMALL ACFT ON SOME PORTIONS OF THE MAIN PARALLEL TXWY, INCLUDING ALPHA-1 TXWY WHICH LEADS TO THE APCH END OF RWY 25, ARE NOT ALWAYS VISIBLE FROM THE MOBILE TWR WHEN ACFT ARE PARKED ON THE OUTER PORTION OF THE PRIMARY ARPT PARKING RAMP, WHICH IS ON THE S SIDE OF THE PARALLEL TXWY AND ACTIVE RWY. AIR/GND COM WITH ACFT ON THEIR PRIMARY INST ARR RTE, WHICH IS S OF KREMMLING VORTAC AND AN AREA JUST N OF THE EAGLE ILS INST APCH COURSE, ARE OFTEN TIMES BROKEN AND GARBLED. SIMULTANEOUS XMITTING AND CONTINUOUS RECEPTION OF MORE THAN 1 FREQ AT AN OPERATING POS IS NOT POSSIBLE, ONLY 1 ACTIVATED XMIT/RECEIVE FREQ SELECTION IS POSSIBLE FROM A POS OF OP. THIS CONDITION RESTRICTS CTLR FLEXIBILITY DURING TIMES WHEN ONLY 1 CTLR IS ON DUTY, WHICH IS THE MAJORITY OF TIME. ADDITIONALLY, NORMAL OP OF THE VOICE RECORDER EQUIP WAS OFTEN TIMES LESS THAN SATISFACTORY AND WAS A DISTR BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING ITS CONTINUOUS OP. POS CTL REF THE ABOVE LISTED ITEMS IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY. I FEEL THE EAGLE COUNTY MOBILE TWR IS AN UNSATISFACTORY IMITATION OF A 'COMPARABLE FAA ATCT (MOBILE OR FIXED).' SAFETY SHOULD REMAIN THE TOP PRIORITY WHEN PROVIDING ATC SVCS. THIS IS THE SECOND YR THIS TWR FACILITY HAS BEEN UTILIZED, AND IN THE SAME ARPT LOCATION.

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.