Narrative:

A BE10 was inbound to mci with the left engine shut down. The supervisor in the tower cabin attendant attempted to notify the crash fire rescue equipment crews via the airport emergency radio (red phone). The way the system is suppose to work, when we pick up the phone the doors to the fire station open and we override all communications on the airport. This way the rescue crews go straight to their trucks and proceed to scene of the incident or accident. On this particular occasion when the supervisor picked up the crash phone, the doors came open, however, his transmission did not go out over the radio. The reason is the system was either busy or hit a dead spot. The city called to find out if there was an emergency and after precious lost time dispatched the rescue vehicles. Due to this delay the aircraft landed without any emergency vehicles standing by. The city of kansas city about 1 1/2 yrs ago went to a brand new radio system 800 MHZ by erickson electronics. They have had many problems with dead spots. Now they are having them at the airport. In an aircraft accident, seconds could mean lives. This radio system is unsafe and unsatisfactory. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated the city is aware of the problem and is attempting to resolve it. Reporter said that all city police and firemen are on the same system and indicated that there were about 3 or 4 communication towers around the city for the system. Reporter indicated the FAA is not doing anything about the problem and leaving it to the city to resolve.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT IN WHICH THE TWR SUPVR ATTEMPTED TO CALL OUT THE FIRE AND RESCUE EQUIP BUT WAS NOT HEARD. RPTR CLAIMS THERE ARE COM DEAD SPOTS. CITY OPS CALLED THE TWR TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS AN EMER AND THEN DISPATCHED THE EQUIP. RPTR SAID THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT ANY EMER VEHICLES STANDING BY.

Narrative: A BE10 WAS INBOUND TO MCI WITH THE L ENG SHUT DOWN. THE SUPVR IN THE TWR CAB ATTEMPTED TO NOTIFY THE CFR CREWS VIA THE ARPT EMER RADIO (RED PHONE). THE WAY THE SYS IS SUPPOSE TO WORK, WHEN WE PICK UP THE PHONE THE DOORS TO THE FIRE STATION OPEN AND WE OVERRIDE ALL COMS ON THE ARPT. THIS WAY THE RESCUE CREWS GO STRAIGHT TO THEIR TRUCKS AND PROCEED TO SCENE OF THE INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION WHEN THE SUPVR PICKED UP THE CRASH PHONE, THE DOORS CAME OPEN, HOWEVER, HIS XMISSION DID NOT GO OUT OVER THE RADIO. THE REASON IS THE SYS WAS EITHER BUSY OR HIT A DEAD SPOT. THE CITY CALLED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS AN EMER AND AFTER PRECIOUS LOST TIME DISPATCHED THE RESCUE VEHICLES. DUE TO THIS DELAY THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT ANY EMER VEHICLES STANDING BY. THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY ABOUT 1 1/2 YRS AGO WENT TO A BRAND NEW RADIO SYS 800 MHZ BY ERICKSON ELECTRONICS. THEY HAVE HAD MANY PROBS WITH DEAD SPOTS. NOW THEY ARE HAVING THEM AT THE ARPT. IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT, SECONDS COULD MEAN LIVES. THIS RADIO SYS IS UNSAFE AND UNSATISFACTORY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THE CITY IS AWARE OF THE PROB AND IS ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE IT. RPTR SAID THAT ALL CITY POLICE AND FIREMEN ARE ON THE SAME SYS AND INDICATED THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 3 OR 4 COM TWRS AROUND THE CITY FOR THE SYS. RPTR INDICATED THE FAA IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROB AND LEAVING IT TO THE CITY TO RESOLVE.

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.