Narrative:

I was working tower position at bil ATCT (contract tower). Landing and departure runway 5 and departure runway 31 from a displaced threshold (we had taxiway and runway closures due to wkend special event). Y (student solo) called 10 mi northwest inbound and was told to report 3 mi directly with a planned left traffic runway 5. X (cfii instrument student) called on a VOR runway 5 practice approach and was told to report FAF inbound. Y reported 3 mi west and was told to enter midfield left downwind (I would have sequenced him upon entering downwind). At this time, I had 3 CE172 closed pattern for touch-and-goes, another 3 or 4 entering the pattern or about to, departure to go and other inbounds holding outside class D airspace (the frequency was busy!). I missed the FAF report and called over I94 (2 mi southwest) and was told he was #2 following traffic ahead on final. Inquiring who the aircraft was on left base, Y (who never reported entering left downwind) said he had an aircraft above him on final approach. I told X to go around and aircraft Y (who had already flown through the final) to his altitude, fly straight ahead southeast to exit the pattern and re-enter on a midfield right downwind. X made left closed pattern and landed runway 5. Y entered right downwind and landed runway 5. Both being sequenced with other pattern traffic. X CFI later said his passing Y was quite close. At btl the tower is 2 mi from the threshold runway 5 and 3 mi from base leg. We are badly in need of d-brite tower radar (easily piped in from azo), but the FAA will wait until something worse happens. There has been yrs of talk about relocating the tower to a more central point on the airport. The flight school should be staggering their training sessions, instead of sending 15-20 aircraft out within 10 mins (every 1 1/2 hour) and we getting dumped on 1 hour later when they all want to come back in at the same time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DESCRIBING A BUSY TFC SESSION AT BTL ARPT, ATCT CTLR EXPLAINS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT A D-BRITE RADAR IS NEEDED IN THE TWR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING TWR POS AT BIL ATCT (CONTRACT TWR). LNDG AND DEP RWY 5 AND DEP RWY 31 FROM A DISPLACED THRESHOLD (WE HAD TXWY AND RWY CLOSURES DUE TO WKEND SPECIAL EVENT). Y (STUDENT SOLO) CALLED 10 MI NW INBOUND AND WAS TOLD TO RPT 3 MI DIRECTLY WITH A PLANNED L TFC RWY 5. X (CFII INST STUDENT) CALLED ON A VOR RWY 5 PRACTICE APCH AND WAS TOLD TO RPT FAF INBOUND. Y RPTED 3 MI W AND WAS TOLD TO ENTER MIDFIELD L DOWNWIND (I WOULD HAVE SEQUENCED HIM UPON ENTERING DOWNWIND). AT THIS TIME, I HAD 3 CE172 CLOSED PATTERN FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES, ANOTHER 3 OR 4 ENTERING THE PATTERN OR ABOUT TO, DEP TO GO AND OTHER INBOUNDS HOLDING OUTSIDE CLASS D AIRSPACE (THE FREQ WAS BUSY!). I MISSED THE FAF RPT AND CALLED OVER I94 (2 MI SW) AND WAS TOLD HE WAS #2 FOLLOWING TFC AHEAD ON FINAL. INQUIRING WHO THE ACFT WAS ON L BASE, Y (WHO NEVER RPTED ENTERING L DOWNWIND) SAID HE HAD AN ACFT ABOVE HIM ON FINAL APCH. I TOLD X TO GO AROUND AND ACFT Y (WHO HAD ALREADY FLOWN THROUGH THE FINAL) TO HIS ALT, FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD SE TO EXIT THE PATTERN AND RE-ENTER ON A MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND. X MADE L CLOSED PATTERN AND LANDED RWY 5. Y ENTERED R DOWNWIND AND LANDED RWY 5. BOTH BEING SEQUENCED WITH OTHER PATTERN TFC. X CFI LATER SAID HIS PASSING Y WAS QUITE CLOSE. AT BTL THE TWR IS 2 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD RWY 5 AND 3 MI FROM BASE LEG. WE ARE BADLY IN NEED OF D-BRITE TWR RADAR (EASILY PIPED IN FROM AZO), BUT THE FAA WILL WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING WORSE HAPPENS. THERE HAS BEEN YRS OF TALK ABOUT RELOCATING THE TWR TO A MORE CENTRAL POINT ON THE ARPT. THE FLT SCHOOL SHOULD BE STAGGERING THEIR TRAINING SESSIONS, INSTEAD OF SENDING 15-20 ACFT OUT WITHIN 10 MINS (EVERY 1 1/2 HR) AND WE GETTING DUMPED ON 1 HR LATER WHEN THEY ALL WANT TO COME BACK IN AT THE SAME TIME.

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.