Narrative:

Upon approaching ewr in the night, we switched over to the tower. The radio the controller was using was virtually unreadable. We had to turn our volume to almost maximum just to hear tower, which caused all of the other airplanes xmissions to blow us out of the cockpit. Every airplane on the frequency complained about the weak transmitter, and the controller said that he has reported it several times and that the technicians said that it was fine. I've heard from other pilots that this problem happens from time to time, and while not consistent, the problem is chronic. After landing, we held short of runway 4L, and were unable to hear the crossing clearance. After about 5 tries, we were finally, barely able to read the controller and crossed. I can honestly say that I was uncomfortable crossing the runway. After switching over to ground, which was totally readable, we complained again. The ground controller also said that everyone complains about the tower frequency, but there was nothing that they can do. I feel that the situation with the extremely weak tower frequency is borderline, and I've never used this word in a debrief, dangerous. Callback conversation with reporter and a facility person revealed the following information: analyst talked with a facility person who was unaware of any local controller frequency problems on the final approach or on the ground. Tower person indicated that they previously had a blind spot for departures near the approach end of runway 4L which has been corrected. Analyst learned from the reporter that on two recent trips to ewr there were no problems with the local controller frequency. Reporter had heard other company pilots mention the problem with the frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS WEAK LCL CTLR FREQ TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS FOR LNDG AND RWY XING CLRNCS.

Narrative: UPON APCHING EWR IN THE NIGHT, WE SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR. THE RADIO THE CTLR WAS USING WAS VIRTUALLY UNREADABLE. WE HAD TO TURN OUR VOLUME TO ALMOST MAX JUST TO HEAR TWR, WHICH CAUSED ALL OF THE OTHER AIRPLANES XMISSIONS TO BLOW US OUT OF THE COCKPIT. EVERY AIRPLANE ON THE FREQ COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WEAK XMITTER, AND THE CTLR SAID THAT HE HAS RPTED IT SEVERAL TIMES AND THAT THE TECHNICIANS SAID THAT IT WAS FINE. I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER PLTS THAT THIS PROB HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND WHILE NOT CONSISTENT, THE PROB IS CHRONIC. AFTER LNDG, WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 4L, AND WERE UNABLE TO HEAR THE XING CLRNC. AFTER ABOUT 5 TRIES, WE WERE FINALLY, BARELY ABLE TO READ THE CTLR AND CROSSED. I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE XING THE RWY. AFTER SWITCHING OVER TO GND, WHICH WAS TOTALLY READABLE, WE COMPLAINED AGAIN. THE GND CTLR ALSO SAID THAT EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TWR FREQ, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. I FEEL THAT THE SIT WITH THE EXTREMELY WEAK TWR FREQ IS BORDERLINE, AND I'VE NEVER USED THIS WORD IN A DEBRIEF, DANGEROUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR AND A FACILITY PERSON REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST TALKED WITH A FACILITY PERSON WHO WAS UNAWARE OF ANY LCL CTLR FREQ PROBS ON THE FINAL APCH OR ON THE GND. TWR PERSON INDICATED THAT THEY PREVIOUSLY HAD A BLIND SPOT FOR DEPS NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 4L WHICH HAS BEEN CORRECTED. ANALYST LEARNED FROM THE RPTR THAT ON TWO RECENT TRIPS TO EWR THERE WERE NO PROBS WITH THE LCL CTLR FREQ. RPTR HAD HEARD OTHER COMPANY PLTS MENTION THE PROB WITH THE FREQ.

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.