Narrative:

While approaching hro airport 15 mi out, unicom gave a small plane a TA that said 'the wind is light out of the east, traffic is using runway 18.' I made 2 traffic position reports on left base and 2 more on final (for runway 18). When I was about 10 mi out I heard a plane land on runway 18, and shortly after 1 took off on runway 18. And then we landed on runway 18. The man operating the unicom then accused me of landing on the wrong runway. (To back up a little.) when I called in range to company I also asked them to verify traffic was using runway 18, they said yes they were. This is not the first time I have had a problem with the unicom service at this airport. The people operating the unicom obviously have a problem with airlines using their airport. I don't know what can be done about this, but it is very frustrating! We fly in and out of hro 4 or 5 times a day and try to go with the flow and keep everyone happy, but there are 1 or 2 people operating the unicom that are deliberately trying to cause problems! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there was just 1 person in particular who was not cooperative with the commuter pilots. He held an accident prevention counselor position which has since been taken away from him. The individual walked out and confronted reporter at his aircraft 1 day. The airport manager saw this and took him aside. His attitude changed after that and he is no longer allowed to talk on the unicom. Part of the problem is that local pilots become upset with the commuters for the pattern they use. Since the metropolitan III is faster than the training aircraft is difficult to fit into the same pattern. Airport manager is considering a calm wind runway designation which would also allow the commuter pilots to make straight in approachs. There are also some aircraft which do not have radios and use any direction runway. Reporter states his company pilots try to go with the flow of traffic in runway use, but some local folks don't. Analyst gave reporter hot line number for any future problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNICOM OP CLAIMS ACFT LANDED WRONG RWY.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING HRO ARPT 15 MI OUT, UNICOM GAVE A SMALL PLANE A TA THAT SAID 'THE WIND IS LIGHT OUT OF THE E, TFC IS USING RWY 18.' I MADE 2 TFC POS RPTS ON L BASE AND 2 MORE ON FINAL (FOR RWY 18). WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 MI OUT I HEARD A PLANE LAND ON RWY 18, AND SHORTLY AFTER 1 TOOK OFF ON RWY 18. AND THEN WE LANDED ON RWY 18. THE MAN OPERATING THE UNICOM THEN ACCUSED ME OF LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY. (TO BACK UP A LITTLE.) WHEN I CALLED IN RANGE TO COMPANY I ALSO ASKED THEM TO VERIFY TFC WAS USING RWY 18, THEY SAID YES THEY WERE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD A PROB WITH THE UNICOM SVC AT THIS ARPT. THE PEOPLE OPERATING THE UNICOM OBVIOUSLY HAVE A PROB WITH AIRLINES USING THEIR ARPT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS, BUT IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING! WE FLY IN AND OUT OF HRO 4 OR 5 TIMES A DAY AND TRY TO GO WITH THE FLOW AND KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY, BUT THERE ARE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE OPERATING THE UNICOM THAT ARE DELIBERATELY TRYING TO CAUSE PROBS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE WAS JUST 1 PERSON IN PARTICULAR WHO WAS NOT COOPERATIVE WITH THE COMMUTER PLTS. HE HELD AN ACCIDENT PREVENTION COUNSELOR POS WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM. THE INDIVIDUAL WALKED OUT AND CONFRONTED RPTR AT HIS ACFT 1 DAY. THE ARPT MGR SAW THIS AND TOOK HIM ASIDE. HIS ATTITUDE CHANGED AFTER THAT AND HE IS NO LONGER ALLOWED TO TALK ON THE UNICOM. PART OF THE PROB IS THAT LCL PLTS BECOME UPSET WITH THE COMMUTERS FOR THE PATTERN THEY USE. SINCE THE METRO III IS FASTER THAN THE TRAINING ACFT IS DIFFICULT TO FIT INTO THE SAME PATTERN. ARPT MGR IS CONSIDERING A CALM WIND RWY DESIGNATION WHICH WOULD ALSO ALLOW THE COMMUTER PLTS TO MAKE STRAIGHT IN APCHS. THERE ARE ALSO SOME ACFT WHICH DO NOT HAVE RADIOS AND USE ANY DIRECTION RWY. RPTR STATES HIS COMPANY PLTS TRY TO GO WITH THE FLOW OF TFC IN RWY USE, BUT SOME LCL FOLKS DON'T. ANALYST GAVE RPTR HOT LINE NUMBER FOR ANY FUTURE PROBS.

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.