Narrative:

Insum: two pilots in the traffic pattern at coi, fl, made proper CTAF calls on the appropriate frequency but had three encounters with an airport vehicle that was using the incorrect frequency during a runway inspection. The pilots expected the vehicle to leave the runway as they made each approach. In fact he appeared to be doing that each time, but returned to the runway causing a go around each time. On one instance, the vehicle turned to face the landg aircraft and during the resulting go around they were only able to clear the vehicle by 100 ft. After the fourth attempt, the landg was successful, but the driver of the vehicle approached the aircraft in a belligerent manner, nearly walking through the spinning propeller. The engine was shut down due to the hazard and the apparent lack of knowledge of the driver of the danger involved. During the heated discussion that followed, the driver produced a hand held radio claiming he had made appropriate calls to close the runway. It was tuned to an incorrect frequency (123.50 instead of the proper 123.05). A request to meet for a discussion of the incident, after the aircraft was parked, by the pilots was ignored by the driver. The reporter concluded that the airport authority should train their personnel in the hazards of operation around aircraft and the methods required to do it safely. He also suggests temporary X's on the runway when it is closed. As a parting thought, the reporter vows to avoid any runway with ground vehicles operating near the runway at uncontrolled airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND VEHICLE OPERATED IN AN UNSAFE MANNER ON THE RWY AT MERRITT ISLAND, FL.

Narrative: INSUM: TWO PLTS IN THE TFC PATTERN AT COI, FL, MADE PROPER CTAF CALLS ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQ BUT HAD THREE ENCOUNTERS WITH AN ARPT VEHICLE THAT WAS USING THE INCORRECT FREQ DURING A RWY INSPECTION. THE PLTS EXPECTED THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE RWY AS THEY MADE EACH APCH. IN FACT HE APPEARED TO BE DOING THAT EACH TIME, BUT RETURNED TO THE RWY CAUSING A GAR EACH TIME. ON ONE INSTANCE, THE VEHICLE TURNED TO FACE THE LANDG ACFT AND DURING THE RESULTING GAR THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO CLEAR THE VEHICLE BY 100 FT. AFTER THE FOURTH ATTEMPT, THE LANDG WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE APCHED THE ACFT IN A BELLIGERENT MANNER, NEARLY WALKING THROUGH THE SPINNING PROPELLER. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE HAZARD AND THE APPARENT LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE DRIVER OF THE DANGER INVOLVED. DURING THE HEATED DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWED, THE DRIVER PRODUCED A HAND HELD RADIO CLAIMING HE HAD MADE APPROPRIATE CALLS TO CLOSE THE RWY. IT WAS TUNED TO AN INCORRECT FREQ (123.50 INSTEAD OF THE PROPER 123.05). A REQUEST TO MEET FOR A DISCUSSION OF THE INCIDENT, AFTER THE ACFT WAS PARKED, BY THE PLTS WAS IGNORED BY THE DRIVER. THE RPTR CONCLUDED THAT THE ARPT AUTHORITY SHOULD TRAIN THEIR PERSONNEL IN THE HAZARDS OF OPERATION AROUND ACFT AND THE METHODS REQUIRED TO DO IT SAFELY. HE ALSO SUGGESTS TEMPORARY X'S ON THE RWY WHEN IT IS CLOSED. AS A PARTING THOUGHT, THE RPTR VOWS TO AVOID ANY RWY WITH GND VEHICLES OPERATING NEAR THE RWY AT UNCONTROLLED ARPTS.

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.