Narrative:

At approximately AB00 local time I was witness to an event (or may it be called a series of events) which was definitely a serious safety issue. I was preflting for a local VFR flight when I noticed a car driving up and down the runway (runway 9/27) at houston southwest airport (axh). There was quite a lot of local traffic because the WX was beautiful. The car stopped on a taxiway, which is the only entry/exit point for a set of t-hangars, and a gentleman got out, opened the trunk and extracted a surveyor's transit/tripod. He walked out to the centerline of the runway with his equipment and set it up on the runway at the approach end near the runway end lights. I approached the man and asked about the operation, whether it was notamed, if the airport was closed, etc. I was told that he was 'working,' that there was no NOTAM because local pilots never checked them, that he had 50 yrs experience and not to bother him. I voiced my concerns about his safety, the safety of those working with him and the safety of the pilots, aircraft and passenger operating at the airport that day. He stated that he had 'work' to do and to leave him alone. I witnessed several other pilots voice their safety concerns as well. Also, I witnessed gars, long lndgs and other abnormal approachs/lndgs. When I left the airport at approximately AD30 local time the surveying crew was still on the runway (with individuals walking up and down the centerline between aircraft operations) and their vehicles were parked on a runway exit taxiway completely blocking the exit and with 1 vehicle extending onto the runway. Corrective actions. Airport manager to have exercised control over this operation -- from filing the NOTAM to personally overseeing this entire situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT RPT ON THE UNCOORD USE OF GND EQUIP AT AXH, TX. A SURVEYOR'S CREW SET UP SHOP ON THE ACTIVE RWY WITH TFC HAVING TO BE CREATIVE SO AS TO MISS THE MISCELLANEOUS EQUIP ON THE RWY. ARPT MGR OF NO HELP.

Narrative: AT APPROX AB00 LCL TIME I WAS WITNESS TO AN EVENT (OR MAY IT BE CALLED A SERIES OF EVENTS) WHICH WAS DEFINITELY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS PREFLTING FOR A LCL VFR FLT WHEN I NOTICED A CAR DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE RWY (RWY 9/27) AT HOUSTON SOUTHWEST ARPT (AXH). THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF LCL TFC BECAUSE THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE CAR STOPPED ON A TXWY, WHICH IS THE ONLY ENTRY/EXIT POINT FOR A SET OF T-HANGARS, AND A GENTLEMAN GOT OUT, OPENED THE TRUNK AND EXTRACTED A SURVEYOR'S TRANSIT/TRIPOD. HE WALKED OUT TO THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY WITH HIS EQUIP AND SET IT UP ON THE RWY AT THE APCH END NEAR THE RWY END LIGHTS. I APCHED THE MAN AND ASKED ABOUT THE OP, WHETHER IT WAS NOTAMED, IF THE ARPT WAS CLOSED, ETC. I WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS 'WORKING,' THAT THERE WAS NO NOTAM BECAUSE LCL PLTS NEVER CHKED THEM, THAT HE HAD 50 YRS EXPERIENCE AND NOT TO BOTHER HIM. I VOICED MY CONCERNS ABOUT HIS SAFETY, THE SAFETY OF THOSE WORKING WITH HIM AND THE SAFETY OF THE PLTS, ACFT AND PAX OPERATING AT THE ARPT THAT DAY. HE STATED THAT HE HAD 'WORK' TO DO AND TO LEAVE HIM ALONE. I WITNESSED SEVERAL OTHER PLTS VOICE THEIR SAFETY CONCERNS AS WELL. ALSO, I WITNESSED GARS, LONG LNDGS AND OTHER ABNORMAL APCHS/LNDGS. WHEN I LEFT THE ARPT AT APPROX AD30 LCL TIME THE SURVEYING CREW WAS STILL ON THE RWY (WITH INDIVIDUALS WALKING UP AND DOWN THE CTRLINE BTWN ACFT OPS) AND THEIR VEHICLES WERE PARKED ON A RWY EXIT TXWY COMPLETELY BLOCKING THE EXIT AND WITH 1 VEHICLE EXTENDING ONTO THE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. ARPT MGR TO HAVE EXERCISED CTL OVER THIS OP -- FROM FILING THE NOTAM TO PERSONALLY OVERSEEING THIS ENTIRE SIT.

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.