<< >> NASA ASRS Report 450088, September 1999

Reporter claims controllers at fai routinely clear helicopter traffic on and off a pad that is considered uncontrolled ramp and barely visible from the tower.

Attributes
ACN	450088
Time
Date	199909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fai.tower
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bell Helicopter Textron Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Experience	controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 11
ASRS Report	450088
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
Publication	LETTER OF AGREEMENT

Narrative:

The terminal helipad is located on an uncontrolled ramp. Helicopters are routinely cleared for takeoff/landing on a pad that is barely visible from the tower. The integrity of the pad is at best a guess. Additionally, helicopters are parked on the helipad. The case presented now is a copter parked on the pad overnight. We have no in-house procedures to advise succeeding controllers that the pad is occupied. It would be very easy for an aircraft to be taxied or another copter to be cleared to land without an advisory of the parked helicopter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter did not know whether the helipad was located in a movement or a non movement area. Reporter plans to review ATC 7210 and 7110 manual references on areas of non visibility and movement areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS CTLRS AT FAI ROUTINELY CLR HELI TFC ON AND OFF A PAD THAT IS CONSIDERED UNCTLED RAMP AND BARELY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: THE TERMINAL HELIPAD IS LOCATED ON AN UNCTLED RAMP. HELIS ARE ROUTINELY CLRED FOR TKOF/LNDG ON A PAD THAT IS BARELY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. THE INTEGRITY OF THE PAD IS AT BEST A GUESS. ADDITIONALLY, HELIS ARE PARKED ON THE HELIPAD. THE CASE PRESENTED NOW IS A COPTER PARKED ON THE PAD OVERNIGHT. WE HAVE NO IN-HOUSE PROCS TO ADVISE SUCCEEDING CTLRS THAT THE PAD IS OCCUPIED. IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR AN ACFT TO BE TAXIED OR ANOTHER COPTER TO BE CLRED TO LAND WITHOUT AN ADVISORY OF THE PARKED HELI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE HELIPAD WAS LOCATED IN A MOVEMENT OR A NON MOVEMENT AREA. RPTR PLANS TO REVIEW ATC 7210 AND 7110 MANUAL REFS ON AREAS OF NON VISIBILITY AND MOVEMENT AREAS.

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.