Narrative:

The management at cleveland hopkins airport along with FAA ATC management have designated various areas on the airport that are movement areas (txwys) that vehicle traffic can cross the txwys without contacting ATC personnel. Two of the problem areas are on taxiway J between txwys K and right. On one area air carrier ramp personnel and employees of the FBO providing fueling services to the air carrier are allowed to cross from the air carrier ramp to a remote pad used for parking aircraft. Almost every shift a ground controller receives a report from a pilot that one of these vehicles almost hit them or that they had to take evasive action so as not to be hit. ATC has no response to the pilots, but these reports are passed on to supervisors who notify airport operations who in turn ignore or disregard the reports. The airport's district office has never been notified. At XA17Z on jun/mon/96, an air carrier DC9 taxiing northbound on taxiway J was almost hit by a tractor-trailer rig that did not stop in time. Both the vehicle and the aircraft came to a stop with the vehicle parked in front of the right wing of the DC9 short of the fuselage. Neither vehicle could proceed. This is not an isolated incident and sits such as this will continue unless something is done. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there are two problem aspects, air carrier X has baggage vehicles crossing taxiway J without contact and construction vehicles cross taxiway K, a and J without contact. There are 2 or 3 flag persons and reporter questions if the vehicle drivers actually pay attention to them. In the incident described, the flag person had to go around behind the DC9 to get the tractor-trailer driver to back off and give way to the DC9. The captain was furious as he had to make an abrupt stop to avoid contact with the tractor- trailer which did not stop until he was within 10 ft of the aircraft. The most discouraging part of the incident was when the airport manager came to the tower after the conflict and the reporter gave him a written report of the incident. They talked a bit about it and when the reporter turned to leave his position the memo was thrown in the waste basket. Reporter is also concerned that ATC's image is damaged in this process as people consider moving traffic on txwys to be under their control. Analyst referred reporter to the hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPT REGARDING VEHICLES ON TXWYS WITHOUT CLRNC AND RESULTING CONFLICTS WITH MOVING ACFT.

Narrative: THE MGMNT AT CLEVELAND HOPKINS ARPT ALONG WITH FAA ATC MGMNT HAVE DESIGNATED VARIOUS AREAS ON THE ARPT THAT ARE MOVEMENT AREAS (TXWYS) THAT VEHICLE TFC CAN CROSS THE TXWYS WITHOUT CONTACTING ATC PERSONNEL. TWO OF THE PROB AREAS ARE ON TXWY J BTWN TXWYS K AND R. ON ONE AREA ACR RAMP PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYEES OF THE FBO PROVIDING FUELING SVCS TO THE ACR ARE ALLOWED TO CROSS FROM THE ACR RAMP TO A REMOTE PAD USED FOR PARKING ACFT. ALMOST EVERY SHIFT A GND CTLR RECEIVES A RPT FROM A PLT THAT ONE OF THESE VEHICLES ALMOST HIT THEM OR THAT THEY HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION SO AS NOT TO BE HIT. ATC HAS NO RESPONSE TO THE PLTS, BUT THESE RPTS ARE PASSED ON TO SUPVRS WHO NOTIFY ARPT OPS WHO IN TURN IGNORE OR DISREGARD THE RPTS. THE ARPT'S DISTRICT OFFICE HAS NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED. AT XA17Z ON JUN/MON/96, AN ACR DC9 TAXIING NBOUND ON TXWY J WAS ALMOST HIT BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER RIG THAT DID NOT STOP IN TIME. BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE VEHICLE PARKED IN FRONT OF THE R WING OF THE DC9 SHORT OF THE FUSELAGE. NEITHER VEHICLE COULD PROCEED. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND SITS SUCH AS THIS WILL CONTINUE UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE ARE TWO PROB ASPECTS, ACR X HAS BAGGAGE VEHICLES XING TXWY J WITHOUT CONTACT AND CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES CROSS TXWY K, A AND J WITHOUT CONTACT. THERE ARE 2 OR 3 FLAG PERSONS AND RPTR QUESTIONS IF THE VEHICLE DRIVERS ACTUALLY PAY ATTN TO THEM. IN THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED, THE FLAG PERSON HAD TO GO AROUND BEHIND THE DC9 TO GET THE TRACTOR-TRAILER DRIVER TO BACK OFF AND GIVE WAY TO THE DC9. THE CAPT WAS FURIOUS AS HE HAD TO MAKE AN ABRUPT STOP TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE TRACTOR- TRAILER WHICH DID NOT STOP UNTIL HE WAS WITHIN 10 FT OF THE ACFT. THE MOST DISCOURAGING PART OF THE INCIDENT WAS WHEN THE ARPT MGR CAME TO THE TWR AFTER THE CONFLICT AND THE RPTR GAVE HIM A WRITTEN RPT OF THE INCIDENT. THEY TALKED A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHEN THE RPTR TURNED TO LEAVE HIS POS THE MEMO WAS THROWN IN THE WASTE BASKET. RPTR IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT ATC'S IMAGE IS DAMAGED IN THIS PROCESS AS PEOPLE CONSIDER MOVING TFC ON TXWYS TO BE UNDER THEIR CTL. ANALYST REFERRED RPTR TO THE HOTLINE.

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.