 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Reporter claims the tower window washers were disconnected by FAA maintenance in order for the county to be able to reroof buildings around the tower. Without the washers, the tower windows are hard to see through because of fog, dew, bugs, etc.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 407744 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199807 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bpt |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 7 |
| ASRS Report | 407744 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
| Airport | other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The county, which owns the tower cabin attendant and base building, is planning to reroof the buildings. FAA maintenance was required to remove several metal boxes housing ATC cables. To accomplish this, they disconnected the tower cabin attendant window washers. However, this is the only means of removing moisture and debris from the tower cabin attendant windows as FAA made no other cleaning measures available. Being on the texas gulf coast, we have more than our share of fog, dew, and bugs, such as this morning. I believe this creates an unsafe condition because controllers may not be able to actually see out the tower cabin attendant windows whenever fog, rain, mist, dew, or other matter is adhering to the cabin attendant windows, and there is presently no means of removing such.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE TWR WINDOW WASHERS WERE DISCONNECTED BY FAA MAINT IN ORDER FOR THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO REROOF BUILDINGS AROUND THE TWR. WITHOUT THE WASHERS, THE TWR WINDOWS ARE HARD TO SEE THROUGH BECAUSE OF FOG, DEW, BUGS, ETC.
Narrative: THE COUNTY, WHICH OWNS THE TWR CAB AND BASE BUILDING, IS PLANNING TO REROOF THE BUILDINGS. FAA MAINT WAS REQUIRED TO REMOVE SEVERAL METAL BOXES HOUSING ATC CABLES. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THEY DISCONNECTED THE TWR CAB WINDOW WASHERS. HOWEVER, THIS IS THE ONLY MEANS OF REMOVING MOISTURE AND DEBRIS FROM THE TWR CAB WINDOWS AS FAA MADE NO OTHER CLEANING MEASURES AVAILABLE. BEING ON THE TEXAS GULF COAST, WE HAVE MORE THAN OUR SHARE OF FOG, DEW, AND BUGS, SUCH AS THIS MORNING. I BELIEVE THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION BECAUSE CTLRS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE OUT THE TWR CAB WINDOWS WHENEVER FOG, RAIN, MIST, DEW, OR OTHER MATTER IS ADHERING TO THE CAB WINDOWS, AND THERE IS PRESENTLY NO MEANS OF REMOVING SUCH.
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.