Narrative:

We have commissioned this facility without having an airfield lighting system. There have been instances when pilots have asked for runway lights to be stepped up and by the time we can make a phone call, it's too late. On nov/xx/96, rapidly deteriorating WX required runway lights to be turned on during the day, and it took 45 mins to get someone from city operations to go to the old tower and turn them on. Reported to FAA with no response. Supplemental information from acn 353528: before we moved into this tower, it was noticed by all that it was noticeably louder than the old tower. Aircraft noises have become a major distraction. This coupled with the poor quality of the frequencys has created a dangerous environment where hearing readbacks is critical. We were told that some sort of 'sound proofing' would be done, but it has not. Supplemental information from acn. 353172: the air intakes for the tower are drawing in jet fumes and are making controllers ill, the FAA is aware of the problem. Supplemental information from acn 353179: the sequence flasher kill switch is flawed. If you kill the flashers for 1 aircraft, then turn it on for the next aircraft, and if this happens before the first cycle (45 seconds) is over, the flashers turn off by themselves. So the successive arrival does not have flashes and the controller might not know it. Reported to FAA with no response.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT NUMEROUS EQUIP AND FREQ PROBS AFTER MOVING INTO A NEW TWR WITH NEW EQUIP. MGMNT AWARE OF PROBS.

Narrative: WE HAVE COMMISSIONED THIS FACILITY WITHOUT HAVING AN AIRFIELD LIGHTING SYS. THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHEN PLTS HAVE ASKED FOR RWY LIGHTS TO BE STEPPED UP AND BY THE TIME WE CAN MAKE A PHONE CALL, IT'S TOO LATE. ON NOV/XX/96, RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX REQUIRED RWY LIGHTS TO BE TURNED ON DURING THE DAY, AND IT TOOK 45 MINS TO GET SOMEONE FROM CITY OPS TO GO TO THE OLD TWR AND TURN THEM ON. RPTED TO FAA WITH NO RESPONSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 353528: BEFORE WE MOVED INTO THIS TWR, IT WAS NOTICED BY ALL THAT IT WAS NOTICEABLY LOUDER THAN THE OLD TWR. ACFT NOISES HAVE BECOME A MAJOR DISTR. THIS COUPLED WITH THE POOR QUALITY OF THE FREQS HAS CREATED A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT WHERE HEARING READBACKS IS CRITICAL. WE WERE TOLD THAT SOME SORT OF 'SOUND PROOFING' WOULD BE DONE, BUT IT HAS NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN. 353172: THE AIR INTAKES FOR THE TWR ARE DRAWING IN JET FUMES AND ARE MAKING CTLRS ILL, THE FAA IS AWARE OF THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 353179: THE SEQUENCE FLASHER KILL SWITCH IS FLAWED. IF YOU KILL THE FLASHERS FOR 1 ACFT, THEN TURN IT ON FOR THE NEXT ACFT, AND IF THIS HAPPENS BEFORE THE FIRST CYCLE (45 SECONDS) IS OVER, THE FLASHERS TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES. SO THE SUCCESSIVE ARR DOES NOT HAVE FLASHES AND THE CTLR MIGHT NOT KNOW IT. RPTED TO FAA WITH NO RESPONSE.

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.