A helicopter pilot report on a security guard shooting at dogs on the airport while his aircraft was...

Attributes
ACN	422674
Time
Date	199812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ito airport : ito
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 150
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ito
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	AS 350 Astar/Ecureuil
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 5100
ASRS Report	422674
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon landing, security fired a shotgun towards my aircraft to kill 2 dogs that had wandered onto the airport. Hilo tower had cleared them into the active area. The tower was under the impression that security was going to chase the dogs off of the airport as had been done in the past. With no communication to hilo tower, security shot 1 dog, wounding it. They then shot and killed the puppy. Now they chased down the wounded dog and killed it. All of this took place as aircraft were landing. Security never informed the tower as to what their intentions were. They discharged the shotgun toward my aircraft as I was landing. There was additional company aircraft landing ahead of me also. An air carrier was on base for final. Tower had no way to tell security to suspend their actions due to landing aircraft and had no way to tell the active aircraft what was going on because security had not let anyone know what they were going to do in the active area. 2-WAY communication is a must. No firearms should be discharged toward landing aircraft. A dangerous situation still exists.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELI PLT RPT ON A SECURITY GUARD SHOOTING AT DOGS ON THE ARPT WHILE HIS ACFT WAS LNDG. FIRE WAS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE RPTR'S ACFT.

Narrative: UPON LNDG, SECURITY FIRED A SHOTGUN TOWARDS MY ACFT TO KILL 2 DOGS THAT HAD WANDERED ONTO THE ARPT. HILO TWR HAD CLRED THEM INTO THE ACTIVE AREA. THE TWR WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SECURITY WAS GOING TO CHASE THE DOGS OFF OF THE ARPT AS HAD BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. WITH NO COM TO HILO TWR, SECURITY SHOT 1 DOG, WOUNDING IT. THEY THEN SHOT AND KILLED THE PUPPY. NOW THEY CHASED DOWN THE WOUNDED DOG AND KILLED IT. ALL OF THIS TOOK PLACE AS ACFT WERE LNDG. SECURITY NEVER INFORMED THE TWR AS TO WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE. THEY DISCHARGED THE SHOTGUN TOWARD MY ACFT AS I WAS LNDG. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL COMPANY ACFT LNDG AHEAD OF ME ALSO. AN ACR WAS ON BASE FOR FINAL. TWR HAD NO WAY TO TELL SECURITY TO SUSPEND THEIR ACTIONS DUE TO LNDG ACFT AND HAD NO WAY TO TELL THE ACTIVE ACFT WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE SECURITY HAD NOT LET ANYONE KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IN THE ACTIVE AREA. 2-WAY COM IS A MUST. NO FIREARMS SHOULD BE DISCHARGED TOWARD LNDG ACFT. A DANGEROUS SIT STILL EXISTS.

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.

A helicopter pilot report on a security guard shooting at dogs on the airport while his aircraft was landing. Fire was directed towards the reporter's aircraft.