Narrative:

At about XA40 on jun/xa/99, citation C550 (aircraft X) landed on runway 28R, rolled to taxiway A7 and exited. Pilot reported brakes locking and was unable to move aircraft. Aircraft was stopped inside runway safety area with hold bars under nose gear. Aircraft was not by any definition' clear of the runway.' this happened at same time I was being relieved from ground control. Upon my return from lunch, I was assigned controller in charge by the supervisor. During the course of the briefing, I questioned why we were still using the runway with an aircraft disabled inside the safety area and not clear of the runway. I was informed the aircraft was indeed clear of the runway and glared at by the supervisor. When supervisor returned to the cabin attendant, I was assigned local control and was basically forced to continue to run an illegal and unsafe operation. Many of the pilots I worked, questioned the operation. 1 or 2 even called the tower to complain. I overheard part of the conversation and the gist was 'well, what do you want me to do, close down the airport -- it's the only runway we have left open.' granted, runway 28L was closed and runway 3 was severely restr, but whatever happened to safety? This unsafe operation continued until approximately XD00 when the aircraft was finally removed. There were 4 other controllers on duty at the time. It is my understanding that 3 of them are also submitting this report individually. Furthermore, no log entry was made on this event except to show the aircraft had brake failure -- no mention of runway situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PDX GND CTLR INFORMS SUPVR OF ACFT WITH BRAKE PROB BLOCKING THE RWY AT AN EGRESS TXWY. SUPVR IGNORES SIT.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA40 ON JUN/XA/99, CITATION C550 (ACFT X) LANDED ON RWY 28R, ROLLED TO TXWY A7 AND EXITED. PLT RPTED BRAKES LOCKING AND WAS UNABLE TO MOVE ACFT. ACFT WAS STOPPED INSIDE RWY SAFETY AREA WITH HOLD BARS UNDER NOSE GEAR. ACFT WAS NOT BY ANY DEFINITION' CLR OF THE RWY.' THIS HAPPENED AT SAME TIME I WAS BEING RELIEVED FROM GND CTL. UPON MY RETURN FROM LUNCH, I WAS ASSIGNED CIC BY THE SUPVR. DURING THE COURSE OF THE BRIEFING, I QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE STILL USING THE RWY WITH AN ACFT DISABLED INSIDE THE SAFETY AREA AND NOT CLR OF THE RWY. I WAS INFORMED THE ACFT WAS INDEED CLR OF THE RWY AND GLARED AT BY THE SUPVR. WHEN SUPVR RETURNED TO THE CAB, I WAS ASSIGNED LCL CTL AND WAS BASICALLY FORCED TO CONTINUE TO RUN AN ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE OP. MANY OF THE PLTS I WORKED, QUESTIONED THE OP. 1 OR 2 EVEN CALLED THE TWR TO COMPLAIN. I OVERHEARD PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE GIST WAS 'WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, CLOSE DOWN THE ARPT -- IT'S THE ONLY RWY WE HAVE LEFT OPEN.' GRANTED, RWY 28L WAS CLOSED AND RWY 3 WAS SEVERELY RESTR, BUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SAFETY? THIS UNSAFE OP CONTINUED UNTIL APPROX XD00 WHEN THE ACFT WAS FINALLY REMOVED. THERE WERE 4 OTHER CTLRS ON DUTY AT THE TIME. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT 3 OF THEM ARE ALSO SUBMITTING THIS RPT INDIVIDUALLY. FURTHERMORE, NO LOG ENTRY WAS MADE ON THIS EVENT EXCEPT TO SHOW THE ACFT HAD BRAKE FAILURE -- NO MENTION OF RWY 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.