Private pilot has difficulty with security at the airline terminal after the airport is closed for t...

Attributes
ACN	466330
Time
Date	200003
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hgr.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	466330
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : pers 3
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I am an instructor and, for my student's birthday, I decided to take his girlfriend and him out to dinner. I had heard that a nearby airport had a good restaurant on the field, so we took off. When we got there, the tower was closed, so I asked anyone on the unicom frequency if they knew where the restaurant was. When no one answered, we decided that it must be in or near the terminal. We taxied there and parked on the ramp in front, and I walked inside to ask. I was informed that the restaurant was in fact across the field but when I tried to go back to my plane the door would not open. The air carrier counter had a person working there, so I asked her how to get to my plane and she said that that was impossible. She asked if I had a badge, but I told her I worked neither for the FBO nor for the airport. At that point I saw my student, so I went to him and found out that the girlfriend was at the door. We walked outside, picked up our plane. We taxied across the field, making progressive radio calls on unicom and found the restaurant. When on the other side, a person working at the FBO asked us to wait for the tower manager. She came 30 mins later with 3 or 4 police officers. I am writing because the entire situation seemed absurd. There was no sign saying that commercial traffic only was allowed at the terminal. There was no sign saying that once you enter the terminal you would not be allowed outside. Since all operations at the terminal were closed for the day, why allow people to walk in anyhow? I understand that the very small airport had had terrorism training earlier in the week, but would a terrorist really walk up to the counter and ask how to get out? The counter girl exacerbated the situation by exaggerating the situation to the point of lying, and if nothing else, 30 mins is an awfully long time for a trained terrorist response team.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT HAS DIFFICULTY WITH SECURITY AT THE AIRLINE TERMINAL AFTER THE ARPT IS CLOSED FOR THE EVENING WHEN HE LEFT THE RAMP TO ENTER THE BUILDING AND COULD NOT RETURN TO HIS AIRPLANE.

Narrative: I AM AN INSTRUCTOR AND, FOR MY STUDENT'S BIRTHDAY, I DECIDED TO TAKE HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HIM OUT TO DINNER. I HAD HEARD THAT A NEARBY ARPT HAD A GOOD RESTAURANT ON THE FIELD, SO WE TOOK OFF. WHEN WE GOT THERE, THE TWR WAS CLOSED, SO I ASKED ANYONE ON THE UNICOM FREQ IF THEY KNEW WHERE THE RESTAURANT WAS. WHEN NO ONE ANSWERED, WE DECIDED THAT IT MUST BE IN OR NEAR THE TERMINAL. WE TAXIED THERE AND PARKED ON THE RAMP IN FRONT, AND I WALKED INSIDE TO ASK. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RESTAURANT WAS IN FACT ACROSS THE FIELD BUT WHEN I TRIED TO GO BACK TO MY PLANE THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THE ACR COUNTER HAD A PERSON WORKING THERE, SO I ASKED HER HOW TO GET TO MY PLANE AND SHE SAID THAT THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. SHE ASKED IF I HAD A BADGE, BUT I TOLD HER I WORKED NEITHER FOR THE FBO NOR FOR THE ARPT. AT THAT POINT I SAW MY STUDENT, SO I WENT TO HIM AND FOUND OUT THAT THE GIRLFRIEND WAS AT THE DOOR. WE WALKED OUTSIDE, PICKED UP OUR PLANE. WE TAXIED ACROSS THE FIELD, MAKING PROGRESSIVE RADIO CALLS ON UNICOM AND FOUND THE RESTAURANT. WHEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, A PERSON WORKING AT THE FBO ASKED US TO WAIT FOR THE TWR MGR. SHE CAME 30 MINS LATER WITH 3 OR 4 POLICE OFFICERS. I AM WRITING BECAUSE THE ENTIRE SIT SEEMED ABSURD. THERE WAS NO SIGN SAYING THAT COMMERCIAL TFC ONLY WAS ALLOWED AT THE TERMINAL. THERE WAS NO SIGN SAYING THAT ONCE YOU ENTER THE TERMINAL YOU WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED OUTSIDE. SINCE ALL OPS AT THE TERMINAL WERE CLOSED FOR THE DAY, WHY ALLOW PEOPLE TO WALK IN ANYHOW? I UNDERSTAND THAT THE VERY SMALL ARPT HAD HAD TERRORISM TRAINING EARLIER IN THE WK, BUT WOULD A TERRORIST REALLY WALK UP TO THE COUNTER AND ASK HOW TO GET OUT? THE COUNTER GIRL EXACERBATED THE SIT BY EXAGGERATING THE SIT TO THE POINT OF LYING, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, 30 MINS IS AN AWFULLY LONG TIME FOR A TRAINED TERRORIST RESPONSE TEAM.

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.

Private pilot has difficulty with security at the airline terminal after the airport is closed for the evening when he left the ramp to enter the building and could not return to his airplane.