Narrative:

As a controller at space coast regional, I have recently been witnessing an unsafe condition which has hampered our air traffic operation and is potentially compromising safety on a daily basis. In my opinion, the situation has taken away a considerable degree of flexibility from the controllers and has created a 'head on' or 'T-bone' situation in the local traffic pattern at tix. These circumstances involve a certain construction crane located approximately 1 NM northwest of airport (up to 225 ft) (with a flag) (daylight hours). Local airport officials and state of florida officials have been disagreeing (since feb/mon/00) with the crane contractor/operator's procedures/notifications. Court action has been threatened which would extend this problem indefinitely into the future. For 3 days last week runway 9/27 was closed due to this process, then reopened with a restr to use only (right traffic runway 9) or (left traffic runway 27), essentially an act of avoidance to miss a crane at 225 ft 1 mi away and almost never erected. The traffic pattern restr creates a very dangerous situation conflicting with ILS traffic inbound to runway 36. The entire process can be further complicated if dayton approach (new at handling tix radar airspace) xfers communications late on ILS runway 36 approachs. Some controllers are attempting to work through the individual conflicts, however, then the ILS approach is short changed and pattern work is work intensive on the controller. In my opinion, it is time corrective action that needs to be taken to remove and further prevent the local politics from interfering with and affecting issues of safety in controled airspace. Leave and allow the expeditious movement of air traffic to be handled by controllers who are qualified to do the job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TIX CTLR CONCERNED WITH LCL ARPT CITY POLICIES OVER CRANE CONSTRUCTION PLACEMENT AND ITS POTENTIAL HAZARD TO ARPT OPS.

Narrative: AS A CTLR AT SPACE COAST REGIONAL, I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN WITNESSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHICH HAS HAMPERED OUR AIR TFC OP AND IS POTENTIALLY COMPROMISING SAFETY ON A DAILY BASIS. IN MY OPINION, THE SIT HAS TAKEN AWAY A CONSIDERABLE DEG OF FLEXIBILITY FROM THE CTLRS AND HAS CREATED A 'HEAD ON' OR 'T-BONE' SIT IN THE LCL TFC PATTERN AT TIX. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVE A CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION CRANE LOCATED APPROX 1 NM NW OF ARPT (UP TO 225 FT) (WITH A FLAG) (DAYLIGHT HRS). LCL ARPT OFFICIALS AND STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN DISAGREEING (SINCE FEB/MON/00) WITH THE CRANE CONTRACTOR/OPERATOR'S PROCS/NOTIFICATIONS. COURT ACTION HAS BEEN THREATENED WHICH WOULD EXTEND THIS PROB INDEFINITELY INTO THE FUTURE. FOR 3 DAYS LAST WEEK RWY 9/27 WAS CLOSED DUE TO THIS PROCESS, THEN REOPENED WITH A RESTR TO USE ONLY (R TFC RWY 9) OR (L TFC RWY 27), ESSENTIALLY AN ACT OF AVOIDANCE TO MISS A CRANE AT 225 FT 1 MI AWAY AND ALMOST NEVER ERECTED. THE TFC PATTERN RESTR CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SIT CONFLICTING WITH ILS TFC INBOUND TO RWY 36. THE ENTIRE PROCESS CAN BE FURTHER COMPLICATED IF DAYTON APCH (NEW AT HANDLING TIX RADAR AIRSPACE) XFERS COMS LATE ON ILS RWY 36 APCHS. SOME CTLRS ARE ATTEMPTING TO WORK THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL CONFLICTS, HOWEVER, THEN THE ILS APCH IS SHORT CHANGED AND PATTERN WORK IS WORK INTENSIVE ON THE CTLR. IN MY OPINION, IT IS TIME CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO REMOVE AND FURTHER PREVENT THE LCL POLITICS FROM INTERFERING WITH AND AFFECTING ISSUES OF SAFETY IN CTLED AIRSPACE. LEAVE AND ALLOW THE EXPEDITIOUS MOVEMENT OF AIR TFC TO BE HANDLED BY CTLRS WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO DO THE JOB.

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.