Narrative:

An aerobatic competition is being held at marana, including a glider category. Gulfstream Z calls asking for traffic advisory. At that time there were no advisories. Moments later glider Y, which was in the aerobatic box on a different frequency calls downwind. Gulfstream Z calls sounding confused and frustrated, not understanding where traffic was. Gulfstream Z then calls downwind. Glider Y then calls base. Again gulfstream Z sounds confused and frustrated. He states he doesn't have glider Y in sight. Asks glider Y what the heck are you guys doing... Glider Y calls final and states will be on runway for 30 seconds after stopping. Gulfstream Z calls final and states '*!?!%, you guys.' after landing, glider Y remained stopped on the runway and waives the tow plane (X) to tow them back up. I pulled out onto the runway, they got hooked up and we were rolling in less then 30 seconds. Unfortunately, during that time gulfstream Z went around. Glider Y was off frequency originally while in the aerobatic box during the initial call from the gulfstream. The gulfstream pilot appeared to have no respect for glider Y and that the glider Y had the right of way. Also, either myself or the line chief or glider Y pilot needed to 'be in charge' and broadcast more information/intentions. Announcing glider Y would be on the runway for several moments was not enough. Intentions were a 'stop and go' on the runway, and should have been announced that way. Other similar incidents occurred this weekend where I wasn't involved. I believe the solution would have been to have one other person involved that was in charge of traffic during glider operations who was familiar with this airport. Line chief was busy doing too many things. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter notes that high traffic volume during the competition contributed to the incident, and suggests that implementation of a temporary tower during periods of high or special activity would significantly reduce the frequency and severity of these kinds of conflicts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION CONFLICT OCCURS BETWEEN A GLIDER AND TOW PLANE IN POSITION ON RWY, AND AN APPROACHING GULFSTREAM, WHICH EXECUTED A GAR.

Narrative: AN AEROBATIC COMPETITION IS BEING HELD AT MARANA, INCLUDING A GLIDER CATEGORY. GULFSTREAM Z CALLS ASKING FOR TFC ADVISORY. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE NO ADVISORIES. MOMENTS LATER GLIDER Y, WHICH WAS IN THE AEROBATIC BOX ON A DIFFERENT FREQ CALLS DOWNWIND. GULFSTREAM Z CALLS SOUNDING CONFUSED AND FRUSTRATED, NOT UNDERSTANDING WHERE TFC WAS. GULFSTREAM Z THEN CALLS DOWNWIND. GLIDER Y THEN CALLS BASE. AGAIN GULFSTREAM Z SOUNDS CONFUSED AND FRUSTRATED. HE STATES HE DOESN'T HAVE GLIDER Y IN SIGHT. ASKS GLIDER Y WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS DOING... GLIDER Y CALLS FINAL AND STATES WILL BE ON RWY FOR 30 SECONDS AFTER STOPPING. GULFSTREAM Z CALLS FINAL AND STATES '*!?!%, YOU GUYS.' AFTER LANDING, GLIDER Y REMAINED STOPPED ON THE RWY AND WAIVES THE TOW PLANE (X) TO TOW THEM BACK UP. I PULLED OUT ONTO THE RWY, THEY GOT HOOKED UP AND WE WERE ROLLING IN LESS THEN 30 SECONDS. UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THAT TIME GULFSTREAM Z WENT AROUND. GLIDER Y WAS OFF FREQ ORIGINALLY WHILE IN THE AEROBATIC BOX DURING THE INITIAL CALL FROM THE GULFSTREAM. THE GULFSTREAM PLT APPEARED TO HAVE NO RESPECT FOR GLIDER Y AND THAT THE GLIDER Y HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. ALSO, EITHER MYSELF OR THE LINE CHIEF OR GLIDER Y PLT NEEDED TO 'BE IN CHARGE' AND BROADCAST MORE INFO/INTENTIONS. ANNOUNCING GLIDER Y WOULD BE ON THE RWY FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS WAS NOT ENOUGH. INTENTIONS WERE A 'STOP AND GO' ON THE RWY, AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT WAY. OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS OCCURRED THIS WEEKEND WHERE I WASN'T INVOLVED. I BELIEVE THE SOLUTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE ONE OTHER PERSON INVOLVED THAT WAS IN CHARGE OF TFC DURING GLIDER OPERATIONS WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT. LINE CHIEF WAS BUSY DOING TOO MANY THINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR NOTES THAT HIGH TFC VOLUME DURING THE COMPETITION CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT, AND SUGGESTS THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF A TEMPORARY TOWER DURING PERIODS OF HIGH OR SPECIAL ACTIVITY WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE FREQ AND SEVERITY OF THESE KINDS OF CONFLICTS.

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.