Narrative:

As of jul/sat/94, 146 vehicles have been given authorization to operate on duluth airport on a regular basis. This number doesn't include those operations that require temporary call signs for additional vehicles (painting, survey, inspection). On aug/tue/94, dlh tower concluded a 30-day count of vehicle movements (see attached). Dlh averaged 133 vehicle operations a day (3992 for the 30 days). Of that number, an average of 27 operations occurred on an active runway. Moreover, an average of 159 xings on an active runway occurred, per day. During that same time period, dlh averaged 182 aircraft operations. The number of vehicles allowed to operate on the field creates a patently unsafe situation. Common sense would dictate that the more vehicles allowed to roam the field, the more potential for an aircraft/vehicle incident. Duluth has many periods of low IFR, where these vehicles can't be monitored visually to insure that hold short instructions are followed. Also, vehicles have not been trained in the proper radio format, creating another unsafe situation. As of right now, on initial contact, the vehicles tell us the call sign, location, destination, and route. Proper radio format dictates that these vehicles should establish contact before stating the request. Right now, when a vehicle calls, it could easily be something like: 'duluth ground, XXX requests 2 refuelers, from ramp C to guard ramp via a and east.' this type of call causes many xmissions from aircraft to be blocked. This type of transmission leads to many 'say again,' causing further tie-ups of the frequencys. Many of these vehicle operators are inexperienced, in both communications techniques, and airport operating practices. Once a month, and for a couple of weeks in the summer, the guard has training time where inexperienced drivers are given assignments on the field. Possible solutions: duluth has perimeter roads, or public streets around the field that could be utilized. The north perimeter road could be paved/blacktopped. This would reduce the number of xings of refuelers, and would eliminate the 'guard ramp to weapons storage' traffic. 1 guard-to-weapons operation accounts for 3 runway xings. The vehicle must cross the long runway twice to make this trip, often with live munition. A possible short-term action that will help improve the situation is to teach all operators the proper radio format. The long-term solution is to make use of the roads currently available to reduce, if not eliminate the vehicle traffic on the field. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicates that there has not been any change to vehicular traffic using the active runway for travel from one side of the airport to the other. Reporter stated that he had filed a report earlier this yr and received a call from an analyst to discuss the runway crossing problem. Reporter indicates that after an FYI was received, initially the crossing activity was reduced but has since returned to the level of activity prior to the FYI. He also indicated that he has forwarded information on the runway crossing activity to the highest level of the agency without any positive results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VEHICLE XING OF AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AS OF JUL/SAT/94, 146 VEHICLES HAVE BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION TO OPERATE ON DULUTH ARPT ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS NUMBER DOESN'T INCLUDE THOSE OPS THAT REQUIRE TEMPORARY CALL SIGNS FOR ADDITIONAL VEHICLES (PAINTING, SURVEY, INSPECTION). ON AUG/TUE/94, DLH TWR CONCLUDED A 30-DAY COUNT OF VEHICLE MOVEMENTS (SEE ATTACHED). DLH AVERAGED 133 VEHICLE OPS A DAY (3992 FOR THE 30 DAYS). OF THAT NUMBER, AN AVERAGE OF 27 OPS OCCURRED ON AN ACTIVE RWY. MOREOVER, AN AVERAGE OF 159 XINGS ON AN ACTIVE RWY OCCURRED, PER DAY. DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, DLH AVERAGED 182 ACFT OPS. THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ALLOWED TO OPERATE ON THE FIELD CREATES A PATENTLY UNSAFE SIT. COMMON SENSE WOULD DICTATE THAT THE MORE VEHICLES ALLOWED TO ROAM THE FIELD, THE MORE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACFT/VEHICLE INCIDENT. DULUTH HAS MANY PERIODS OF LOW IFR, WHERE THESE VEHICLES CAN'T BE MONITORED VISUALLY TO INSURE THAT HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED. ALSO, VEHICLES HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED IN THE PROPER RADIO FORMAT, CREATING ANOTHER UNSAFE SIT. AS OF RIGHT NOW, ON INITIAL CONTACT, THE VEHICLES TELL US THE CALL SIGN, LOCATION, DEST, AND RTE. PROPER RADIO FORMAT DICTATES THAT THESE VEHICLES SHOULD ESTABLISH CONTACT BEFORE STATING THE REQUEST. RIGHT NOW, WHEN A VEHICLE CALLS, IT COULD EASILY BE SOMETHING LIKE: 'DULUTH GND, XXX REQUESTS 2 REFUELERS, FROM RAMP C TO GUARD RAMP VIA A AND E.' THIS TYPE OF CALL CAUSES MANY XMISSIONS FROM ACFT TO BE BLOCKED. THIS TYPE OF XMISSION LEADS TO MANY 'SAY AGAIN,' CAUSING FURTHER TIE-UPS OF THE FREQS. MANY OF THESE VEHICLE OPERATORS ARE INEXPERIENCED, IN BOTH COMS TECHNIQUES, AND ARPT OPERATING PRACTICES. ONCE A MONTH, AND FOR A COUPLE OF WKS IN THE SUMMER, THE GUARD HAS TRAINING TIME WHERE INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS ARE GIVEN ASSIGNMENTS ON THE FIELD. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: DULUTH HAS PERIMETER ROADS, OR PUBLIC STREETS AROUND THE FIELD THAT COULD BE UTILIZED. THE N PERIMETER ROAD COULD BE PAVED/BLACKTOPPED. THIS WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF XINGS OF REFUELERS, AND WOULD ELIMINATE THE 'GUARD RAMP TO WEAPONS STORAGE' TFC. 1 GUARD-TO-WEAPONS OP ACCOUNTS FOR 3 RWY XINGS. THE VEHICLE MUST CROSS THE LONG RWY TWICE TO MAKE THIS TRIP, OFTEN WITH LIVE MUNITION. A POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM ACTION THAT WILL HELP IMPROVE THE SIT IS TO TEACH ALL OPERATORS THE PROPER RADIO FORMAT. THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION IS TO MAKE USE OF THE ROADS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO REDUCE, IF NOT ELIMINATE THE VEHICLE TFC ON THE FIELD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATES THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY CHANGE TO VEHICULAR TFC USING THE ACTIVE RWY FOR TRAVEL FROM ONE SIDE OF THE ARPT TO THE OTHER. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD FILED A RPT EARLIER THIS YR AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN ANALYST TO DISCUSS THE RWY XING PROB. RPTR INDICATES THAT AFTER AN FYI WAS RECEIVED, INITIALLY THE XING ACTIVITY WAS REDUCED BUT HAS SINCE RETURNED TO THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY PRIOR TO THE FYI. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT HE HAS FORWARDED INFO ON THE RWY XING ACTIVITY TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE AGENCY WITHOUT ANY POSITIVE RESULTS.

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.