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Reporter states there is restr visibility due to outside condensation on windows during high humidity and air- conditioner is on in the tower.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 343850 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : chs |
| State Reference | SC |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dawn |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| ASRS Report | 343850 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Problem: restr visibility from tower cabin attendant due to condensation on outside of windows in tower. Nearly a daily occurrence due to high humidity (common to the region) and the running of air-conditioning inside the cabin attendant. At approximately XA00-XI00L on high humidity days, the condensation is so bad that one literally cannot see aircraft on the runways or in the traffic pattern, especially at night. This condition is more prevalent in the summertime. In my opinion, this is a quite dangerous situation. Repeated requests to chs airways facilities to rectify this situation have gone unanswered. A runway incursion and/or worse will happen due to this situation. I am not an engineer, but some type of system, similar to a car/truck defroster, is needed. Possibly some type of external system, such as water sprayer system to continually spray the windows to preclude condensation building up, could be used in conjunction with the defroster-type system. Or, possibly a type of large windshield wiper to clear the glass, operated by ATC personnel, when needed, would work. The windshield wiper idea is similar to that which the navy and coast guard use on the windows of the bridge onboard boats and ships to clear sea spray. We need something done, and soon!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR STATES THERE IS RESTR VISIBILITY DUE TO OUTSIDE CONDENSATION ON WINDOWS DURING HIGH HUMIDITY AND AIR- CONDITIONER IS ON IN THE TWR.
Narrative: PROB: RESTR VISIBILITY FROM TWR CAB DUE TO CONDENSATION ON OUTSIDE OF WINDOWS IN TWR. NEARLY A DAILY OCCURRENCE DUE TO HIGH HUMIDITY (COMMON TO THE REGION) AND THE RUNNING OF AIR-CONDITIONING INSIDE THE CAB. AT APPROX XA00-XI00L ON HIGH HUMIDITY DAYS, THE CONDENSATION IS SO BAD THAT ONE LITERALLY CANNOT SEE ACFT ON THE RWYS OR IN THE TFC PATTERN, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THIS CONDITION IS MORE PREVALENT IN THE SUMMERTIME. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A QUITE DANGEROUS SIT. REPEATED REQUESTS TO CHS AIRWAYS FACILITIES TO RECTIFY THIS SIT HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. A RWY INCURSION AND/OR WORSE WILL HAPPEN DUE TO THIS SIT. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT SOME TYPE OF SYS, SIMILAR TO A CAR/TRUCK DEFROSTER, IS NEEDED. POSSIBLY SOME TYPE OF EXTERNAL SYS, SUCH AS WATER SPRAYER SYS TO CONTINUALLY SPRAY THE WINDOWS TO PRECLUDE CONDENSATION BUILDING UP, COULD BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEFROSTER-TYPE SYS. OR, POSSIBLY A TYPE OF LARGE WINDSHIELD WIPER TO CLR THE GLASS, OPERATED BY ATC PERSONNEL, WHEN NEEDED, WOULD WORK. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER IDEA IS SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH THE NAVY AND COAST GUARD USE ON THE WINDOWS OF THE BRIDGE ONBOARD BOATS AND SHIPS TO CLR SEA SPRAY. WE NEED SOMETHING DONE, AND SOON!
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.